The High Lord and his Wife
by Lord Thibault
Summary: This continues from my story "A Disturbing Influence".  Will Lorlen discover the truth about the High Lord's marriage?  Will marriage change Akkarin and Sonea?  What has happened to the Ichani?  Story Complete
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Cananvan**

**A Strange Marriage**

It was the strangest marriage that Lorlen had ever been to. For a start, it was being held in the High Lord's Residence and as far as he knew from the Guild's records, no other High Lord had married there. The organisation of rooms in the Residence didn't seem particularly suitable for the requirements of a marriage ceremony.

The second odd thing about it was the complete absence of any family for either the bride or the groom. It was to be expected that no one from Sonea's family would attend and certainly none of her dwell friends, but no one from the groom's family or his House were there either. The Court had sent one of the King's Advisors, but no one from the Royal Family had arrived for the ceremony. Normally, this would have been expected as Akkarin was, as High Lord, a high-ranking Advisor to the King, a member of a very important House as well as a boyhood companion of the current King.

Akkarin had only invited a few of the Higher Magicians, Lord Balkan, of course, as both bride and groom were Warriors and it was only right that the Head of their Discipline was there to give a blessing, Lady Vinara represented the Healers and there were six or seven others, but the vast majority of the Guild had not received an invitation. Akkarin had simply said that as everyone was going to the Ball afterwards, it seemed more sensible to use that opportunity for congratulations and good wishes rather than to try and fit several hundred magicians into the Residence.

Once the news was out that the High Lord, a man with a reputation for being a cool, dispassionate man, was going to take a wife, the Guild had been in uproar. It seemed such a strange decision, for those who, unlike Lorlen, did not know the true reason. It was even stranger still, as the bride was a former slum dweller and Akkarin belonged to a wealthy and important family. There were some, perhaps those who did not particularly like the High Lord, who said that obviously there had been some breaking of the rules which forbade intimate relationships between guardians and novices and that there should be an investigation. Others seem to think that life, and of course love, had caught up with the High Lord at last and he was now acting just like any other man.

Lorlen sighed, _I wish I didn't know the real reason why Akkarin was forcing young Sonea to marry him. To be here, pretending to be a happy guest at a normal marriage was very uncomfortable, _he thought.

He thought back to the meeting earlier in the day when Akkarin broke the news to Rothen that not only was he going to marry Sonea, but that the marriage would take place the same day. Lorlen thought that Rothen was going to hit the High Lord, his anger was so great. The situation was not helped by the fact that Akkarin seemed to be enjoying the encounter in some way.

_I've known him since we were boys, and I recognised that look of amusement in his_ _eyes_, he thought. _Poor Sonea, on the other hand, was so quiet and unlike herself, I wonder what Akkarin had said to her. How can a man change so much in such a short time?_

Although Rothen had had an invitation, and, despite the fact that he had been instrumental in getting Sonea into the Guild, and, indeed, had been her first guardian, he had decided not to attend her marriage. He had gone instead on a long visit to his son, Dorrien, a Healer who lived and worked in a border village, far from Imardin.

_I can't say I blame him,_ thought Lorlen. If _I had had a good excuse, I wouldn't be here either!_

"In a little world of your own again, Lorlen?" a light, charming voice said in his ear and Lorlen turned to meet the amused gaze of the High Lord.

"There is a lot to think about, High Lord," he replied coolly, "Such a rushed marriage is bound to create a lot of gossip and you did order me to control the Guild's reaction."

If he hoped to disconcert the High Lord, he was disappointed. Akkarin simply smiled at him and said, "I have every faith in your ability to control our little family, Lorlen. Remember, we don't want to damage Sonea's reputation, do we?"

Akkarin moved away to talk to other guests and as Lorlen was finding the atmosphere in the huge reception room too uncomfortable and he didn't want to have to fend off pointed questions from other guests, he spent some time wandering around the other rooms on the ground floor of the Residence.

In the dining room he found Takan, the High Lord's servant, overseeing the catering arrangements. The table was set with all the gold plate which belonged to the High Lord, as well as several elaborate candelabra whose candles caused the gold plate to gleam. There were large crystal bowls of pink and white roses dotted around, filling the room with a delicate fragrance.

"That looks very impressive, Takan," Lorlen said. "If the food is only half as impressive, it will be an excellent feast. Very difficult, in view of the short notice, I expect."

Takan shook his head, "No, Lord Lorlen, I sent in the order last week and everything was delivered in good time."

Lorlen glanced sharply at him, "Last week? How long have you known about the marriage?"

The servant looked up, "Lord Akkarin told me some time ago, Lord Lorlen, it was only the Guild which learned the news today. And yourself, of course."

Lorlen didn't know what to make of it. Akkarin had made it sound as it his decision was rather last minute, once he realised he would lose his hostage when she graduated, yet Takan had obviously had enough notice to prepare a traditional, elaborate marriage feast. He glanced at the clock and realised it was almost time for the ceremony.

He arrived back at the reception room just before the marriage was due to be celebrated. He found a good vantage point from where he could observe Sonea and see how well she coped with what would obviously be a great strain for her.

He tried to think how she might be feeling. She had lived in the Residence for some time now, so he supposed she was used to the High Lord and his strange ways. Knowing the truth about him and his use of black magic would make her very wary of him and as his Novice, she would have been able to maintain some distance, but to be his wife, that changed many things. For a start, she would be expected to accompany Akkarin to official ceremonies and the Court. She would have to spend quite a lot of time in her husband's company and Lorlen supposed she would find that a burden.

Lorlen sighed, _If only I had been able to prevent this!_

The large double doors to the reception room opened and he caught his first glimpse of the bride. She was wearing an expensive silk dress set with tiny jewels. Lorlen, whose House controlled the silk trade in Kyralia, could see that the material was of the finest quality, beautifully cut and carefully embroidered. It was not a dress which could have been made in a day or two. Sonea had foregone the traditional jewelled coronet for a simple marriage wreath of pale pink and white roses, which complemented the embroidery on her gown. She was very pale, but walked the length of the room, unaccompanied by family or friends, without hesitation and no sign of nerves.

Sonea arrived at Akkarin's side, but Lorlen noticed that she didn't look at him, apart from a quick, sidelong glance. Akkarin looked at her briefly as he offered his hand, then they both turned to the official who would conduct the ceremony.

For the first time, Lorlen noticed that Akkarin, too, was dressed in costly finery. He had forsaken his High Lord's robes to wear the expensive fine clothing of a noble. The tight-fitting trousers and long sleeveless jacket showed off his tall loose-limbed figure to perfection and reminded Lorlen just how handsome he was. Akkarin had also left his hair loose, which changed his appearance quite dramatically. It was very hard to recognise the High Lord in the worldly young noble standing next to his bride.

As the ceremony continued, Lorlen's full attention was on the bride and groom. Colour had risen in Sonea's cheeks, but her ritual words were spoken in a calm, clear voice with no hint of distress. The High Lord's responses were equally clear. As the ceremony approached its end, Akkarin pushed the marriage ring on her finger, half-smiling down at her. She slid a ring on his marriage finger and for a moment, they looked at each other. Then they moved closer to each other for the ritual kiss which sealed the marriage.

Lorlen stared intently as Akkarin bent his head and brushed his lips quickly across Sonea's. Her colour rose, and Lorlen saw her swallow hard. It was over in a moment and the now married couple turned to acknowledge the applause of the guests.

_That went well. If I didn't know better, I would suppose that marriage was a choice for both of_ _them,_ Lorlen thought. _Both seem perfectly at ease and they have obviously taken the trouble to have expensive finery made, as would any couple in a traditional marriage. _

Later, just before the guests went over to the Ball, Lorlen managed to catch Sonea alone.

"How are you feeling?" he asked kindly.

She smiled at him, "I'm fine, Lorlen. Don't worry, I shall be all right and I am very glad that you and Rothen will not be put in a very difficult position. The High Lord treated me well as his Novice and I don't suppose he will treat his wife badly."

"You look lovely, Sonea. What an exquisite dress, it suits you perfectly."

"Thank you Lorlen. I hope I shall see you at the Ball and perhaps you will ask me to dance?"

After she had gone, he wondered how he'd stopped himself asking when she had first seen the dressmaker about making her marriage dress. _Perhaps it is_ _because I wouldn't have liked the answer_, he thought ruefully. _Such a dress_ _requires long days of work._ _If she had said some weeks ago, I might have wondered why she hadn't told me so that I could have prevented this mockery of a marriage!_


	2. The Graduation Ball

**Disclaimer: I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan**

**The Graduation Ball**

Akkarin had never liked the Graduation Balls he'd attended in the past, but it was always expected that the High Lord be present as it was the culmination of the graduation celebrations. But this year was different and he found himself quite looking forward to it, much to his surprise.

He had been unable to have more than snatched moment alone with Sonea after the marriage ceremony and the meal which followed. He didn't even have a chance to walk alone with her as Balkan had thought it a wonderful idea to have the newly married couple, followed by all the marriage guests, walk in a procession of sorts from the Residence to the Ballroom.

He looked for her in the crush, but didn't see her at first, then he noticed a large group of newly graduated magicians and found Sonea in the middle. She was obviously fending off some searching questions, especially from Regin and his friends. He contemplated going over, but thought it would not be a good idea. Sonea would have to mix with a large number Guild members once she started her work with the Warriors and he couldn't always be there to keep an eye on her. Besides she hadn't asked for his help and he could imagine her reaction if she thought he was checking up on her!

"Such a lovely bride, and what an accomplished Warrior," a loud voice said in his ear, and he turned to see Balkan standing next to him. "She'll be such an asset to my Warrior Discipline. No doubt having a Warrior for a guardian helped her make up her mind to choose a good discipline!"

"Yes, she originally wanted to be a Healer, as you know, but she enjoyed working with Yikmo on the additional training I suggested. What plans to you have for her, Balkan?"

"Yikmo has asked for her to join his group of teachers. He feels she would be a good example for other young female magicians who might otherwise be put off joining the Warriors as it is almost entirely male dominated. I hope that meets with your approval, High Lord?

"I think it an excellent idea, Balkan, I have always regretted the lack of women in the Warriors. As you know, I assisted Yikmo with some of the training and I'd like to continue working with him. It would be a shame to let my own Warrior skills suffer from lack of practice. I hope you will agree."

"Of course, High Lord, we should all be honoured."

It took several more minutes of rather dull conversation before Akkarin could make his escape from Balkan. Eventually he caught up with Sonea, who had just been dancing with one of her friends.

"Sonea, would you like to dance with me?" he asked.

She smiled briefly, "I think the entire ballroom is waiting to see you dance with me!"

He took her hand and led her to the dance floor. _Thank you for teaching me_, she sent, _Formal dancing was never a big part of growing up in the slums!_

He was conscious of the fact that people had drawn away from the centre of the dance floor, so that they were alone in the middle and the focus of all eyes. So he decided to have a little amusement.

_Sonea, don't worry, just follow my lead_, he sent and swept her off into a series of dazzling twirls, turns and leaps which surprised their audience and sent them skittering away as he used as much of the dance floor as possible. It was a polished performance and when it finally finished, there was loud applause.

"I can't even begin to remember what I was doing!" Sonea said, laughing. "Do you do that sort of thing every time you get on a dance floor?"

"Only when I dance with my wife," he said, smiling. "Did you promise to dance with Lorlen? He's coming this way with a great look of determination on his face!"

He watched the Administrator come towards them and felt a sudden pang of sadness at the loss of his friendship after so many years. There was no open smile on his face or friendly look, instead he looked expressionlessly at Akkarin and bowed formally, "High Lord, I wonder if I might dance with Sonea?"

As Lorlen led her towards the dance floor, Akkarin went to fetch a glass of wine, then concentrated on the blood gem link with Lorlen to overhear his conversation.

"Sonea, I wanted to have a word with you alone and it's very difficult as you know, so I hope you won't mind if we talk while we dance," Lorlen started, earnestly.

"I understand, Lorlen," she replied. "What do you want to say?"

"We've failed you Sonea, the Guild that is, and me in particular. It is unthinkable that you have been put into the power of that man, when we both know what he is capable of. It was bad enough taking you for a Novice, but marriage! That's not right!"

Sonea looked up at him, "Lorlen, don't blame yourself. You know there was no choice but to agree to it. If I hadn't, you and Rothen would have been vulnerable and I couldn't allow that." Sonea sighed, "He's promised not to do anything against my wishes and I believe him. He did nothing before, so why would he be different now?"

"You don't know what could happen, you are an attractive young woman, Sonea, and who knows what he might do if he suddenly realises you are desirable. Husbands have rights, you know. "

She laughed softly, "I am sure the High Lord has other things to worry about than what I look like! I have been living in his house for years, why should he suddenly take an interest in me?"

"Not so long ago, I would have trusted Akkarin with my life, but now, after knowing what he has done and, no doubt, continues to do, I cannot believe anything he says." Lorlen spoke fiercely. "Sonea, I want you to know that when this is all over and Akkarin is taken, I shall ensure that everyone knows you were forced into this marriage and I won't stop until I've had it annulled. You won't have to suffer because of it."

"Thank you Lorlen. I know you'll do your best for me. But, I beg of you, don't spend all your time worrying about me. I can look after myself. After all, I am a Warrior now and Yikmo says I'm one of the best!"

"Yes, but Akkarin is a Warrior too, and he was the best of his year," Lorlen sounded worried. "If anything happens, anything at all, you will come and tell me straight away won't you? Regardless of whether or not the Guild can defeat him, we will act to protect you!"

The dance was coming to an end, so Akkarin stopped listening to Lorlen's conversation. _He is still the rather earnest, upright young man I remember from our time as novices_, he thought. _What a pity I couldn't tell him the truth. I regret what I have to do now, but I never thought this would be an easy path._

As Lorlen escorted Sonea back to his side, Akkarin fixed the Administrator with a cold look, "I hope you enjoyed your opportunity to speak to Sonea alone, but you forget the blood gem you wear. No doubt you were able to reassure my wife that she'll be able to rid herself of me once you have defeated me. But first you have to defeat me and I don't think you are able to do that, are you, Lorlen?"

Lorlen's face had paled during Akkarin's little speech and it was obvious that he had forgotten all about the blood gem and what it could do. He glanced quickly at Sonea then said, "I'm sure what I said was no surprise to you, High Lord. What else would you expect me to say?"

Akkarin nodded, "How true, Lorlen. You are very predictable you know. Now, you have had your opportunity to speak to Sonea alone. I hope you made the most of it because I doubt it will happen again." He took Sonea's arm and turned away, pulling her, so that she stumbled a little. Lorlen half started to intervene, but realised that he could do nothing but watch Akkarin walk away with Sonea firmly in his grasp.

"Akkarin, did you have to be quite so cold?" Sonea asked, glancing quickly up at him.

"Yes, it's important that he knows you have been forced into this. It's not pleasant, but it has to be done. If anything happens to me, you will be able to walk away from the marriage and everything else without any stain on your character. That's all I'm concerned about."

Sonea started to say something, but thought better of it. He walked with her over to the refreshment area and got her a glass of wine. He wondered how much longer they had to stay at the Ball.

Sonea sipped her wine, then said softly, "I want to go home, Akkarin. I want to celebrate my marriage, it'll be the only one I'll have! I think we both deserve a marriage night to remember!"

_How wonderful it is to hear her call the Residence "home",_ he thought.

He looked down at her, a warm glint of amusement in his eyes, "I think we have done our duty. After all, people will expect a newly married couple to leave the party early! Just make sure you don't catch Lorlen's eye on your way to the door."

They found the Residence deserted. Candles were burning in all the rooms and there were refreshments laid out in Akkarin's study, but there was no sign of Takan or any of the other servants.

"How tactful of everyone," Akkarin said, smiling, as he turned towards Sonea. "It seems we have the entire Residence to ourselves tonight."

She giggled, "Yes, very tactful indeed but it's your turn to be tactful now, I'm going to have a bath, so you'd better find something to do for half an hour or so, then come and find me!"

Akkarin went into his study and poured a glass of Anuran Dark. He sat by the fire and watched the flames dance. He still had difficulty actually believing that they had got away with it, without the denunciation he'd expected from Lorlen or Rothen.

_Now comes the really interesting part_, he thought. _We have to convince Lorlen and Rothen that we are living separate lives as agreed, while at the same time convincing the rest of the Guild we are a happily married couple!_ _I'm sure that will test our abilities fully in the weeks and months to come!_

He glanced at the clock and saw it was time. He was surprisingly nervous as he made his way to Sonea's room. He stood outside for a moment, before tapping softly and opening the door. Inside, someone had spent a lot of time filling every surface with bowls of pale roses so that their delicate perfume filled the air. Candles were placed in the best places to cast a soft light so he could see Sonea lying in her bed, a warm smile on her face.

"Come in and welcome, my husband," she said in the ritual words every girl learned almost as soon as she could talk.

He removed his clothes quickly and slid into bed. She turned towards him and held him tightly as they kissed and he remembered her desire to have a marriage night to remember.

_I shall do my best to grant her wish_, he thought.

So Akkarin courted her as any bride would expect on her marriage night, but more than that, he strove to fulfil all Sonea's desires during the lovemaking which followed, holding back his own pleasure to ensure hers. Every skill he possessed as a lover he used to give her the most pleasure and the deepest joy that he could.

The night passed all too quickly and just before the Eye was supplanted by the growing strength of the sun, Sonea wound her fingers in his hair and looked deeply into his eyes.

"You have made me a night I'll never forget," she said softly. "Whatever happens in the future, I will not let anyone or anything separate us. We belong together."


	3. Impropriety

**Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan**

**Impropriety**

"I'm sure that there was nothing untoward, Lord Charen," Lorlen said reassuringly. "The High Lord is not the sort of man you would suspect of behaviour anything like you suggest."

Charen did not look convinced. He was an older magician from the Alchemists' Discipline who had been the main challenger when Akkarin successfully won the election to become High Lord. He'd been very annoyed that a much younger, and relatively unknown, man had been elected, and he had not changed his opinion in the succeeding years. He was always critical of the way Akkarin carried out his duties and took every opportunity to make his views known. Now he felt he had a very good case for an investigation with a strong chance that Akkarin would be stripped of his position.

Lorlen groaned inwardly. _This_ _is going to be difficult,_ he thought. He had warned Akkarin that Charen had been spending time in the Night Room, complaining to willing ears about the rushed marriage and suggesting there may have been some impropriety between Guardian and Novice, but all the High Lord said was that Lorlen must control the Guild and he would rely on him to do so.

"I am not happy, Administrator, that you are taking this so lightly. You have to admit that it is very strange that a man like Akkarin, who has a reputation for not involving himself in affairs of the heart, should suddenly marry his Novice, a former slum dweller, only hours after she had graduated."

Lorlen spoke calmly, "I have spoken to both the High Lord and Lady Sonea and both assured me that there was no improper relationship between them while they were Guardian and Novice. I have no reason to disbelieve them. In fact, I would say that the marriage coming immediately after Lady Sonea's graduation argues against it most completely. After all, a couple with something to hide would surely have delayed a marriage for several weeks, if not months, precisely to avoid the sort of suspicion you are voicing now."

"Or a very clever and manipulative person would do exactly what you are suggesting in order to divert suspicion!" Charen said triumphantly."

"I am not sure what you expect me to do, Charen," Lorlen said.

"It's very simple, Administrator, I want you to call a meeting of the Higher Magicians and let me put my case and let the High Lord and his…wife answer. Although you seem to regard it as minor, I would argue that an intimate relationship between guardian and novice is forbidden and for a magician of the highest rank to be strongly suspected of such a thing must be investigated, so that the reputation of both the High Lord and the Guild itself is safeguarded."

_Akkarin? What do you want me to do?_ he sent, knowing that the blood gem link meant that he could only be heard by its maker.

_Lorlen, you must do what you think best, but remember it is Sonea's reputation which is at most risk here,_ Akkarin's mental voice held traces of amusement, much to Lorlen's annoyance.

_I don't think I can resist Charen's insistence that a meeting be held_, Lorlen sent, frustrated by the lack of clear instruction from the High Lord.

_Then you must ensure that the King is present_, Akkarin sent.

_The King? Why? _Lorlen was puzzled, but this time there was no response from Akkarin.

The mind-to-mind conversation had only taken seconds, but Lorlen noticed that Charen was looking at him strangely, as if he suspected that he had been communicating with someone.

"Well, Charen, if you insist, then I will call a meeting. However, I think it is important that the King be present because your allegation is serious and concerns the High Lord. It is not appropriate that any decision be taken by the Guild alone."

Charen smiled in satisfaction, "An excellent idea, Administrator. I shall inform those colleagues who have expressed their concerns to me that you are arranging an inquiry."

After he had gone, Lorlen tried to think how he could organise things to avoid any trace of impropriety attaching itself to Sonea. Akkarin was right, it was her reputation which must be safeguarded and in order to do that, he must ensure that the meeting came to the right decision – that both the High Lord and Sonea were innocent of the charge.

_If only I could explain the real reason for the marriage_, he thought in frustration, _But of course, that is impossible_.

The day of the inquiry arrived and still Lorlen had no real idea how it would turn out. He had met with Akkarin earlier to discuss the procedure, but the High Lord had said very little, merely commending Lorlen for getting the King to attend.

Lorlen looked around at the Higher Magicians seated in the hall, Charen was surrounded by his supporters and the Administrator found few surprises when he saw who they were. Mostly they were people who had been unhappy with recent events, particularly the introduction of a slum dweller into the Guild. The rest of the Higher Magicians sat quietly, chatting amongst themselves. There was a general air of interest, even excitement, because inquiries such as this involving the leader of the Guild himself were rare events.

The main doors opened and Akkarin and Sonea entered. He went to his traditional seat and she took her place in the body of the hall. A minute or two later, everyone stood as the King entered and went to his seat high above them all.

Akkarin nodded to Lorlen, who rose to his feet. "Lord Charen came to see me recently to express some concerns regarding the marriage of the High Lord to Lady Sonea. I now ask him to present his concerns to the meeting."

Charen stood and moved to the front where he gazed around the hall, "It is with regret that I stand before you," he started, "But I feel that the circumstances of the High Lord's recent hurried marriage needed some further investigation, bearing in mind that only on the morning of the marriage day had the young woman concerned ceased to be the High Lord's Novice. As you all know, the Guild has strict rules about intimate relationships between guardians and novices, with good reason. Novices live with their guardians and spend much time alone with them. It is important that we magicians have complete trust in the system of guardianship as we entrust the well-being of young people to much older men and women. I ask that the full circumstances be explained to the meeting so that a vote can be taken as to whether or not High Lord Akkarin acted improperly."

Charen gazed around the hall again, before sitting down, a satisfied look on his face.

Lorlen stood and turned to Akkarin, "High Lord, perhaps you would like to satisfy Lord Charen as to the circumstances of your marriage."

Akkarin smiled, "Thank you Administrator. I agree with Lord Charen…" he paused as a buzz arose in the hall, "….that the system of guardianship is an important part of the Guild's work and must be above suspicion at all times…" The buzz died down. "…So I am happy to reassure both Lord Charen and the rest of the Higher Magicians that there was nothing improper in my relationship with my Novice. As everyone knows, I lived at the Residence alone apart from my servant for many years, devoting myself to further study and my duties as High Lord. Then I became aware of that a novice with very strong magic had entered the Guild from an unusual source, the city slums. I made enquiries and found she was indeed an exceptional student and I decided that I would take her for my Novice so that I could guide her studies for the future good of the Guild."

Akkarin paused and took a sip of water.

"It was quite a change to have a bright young woman living and studying with me in the Residence and I found that I rather liked company after all. Lady Sonea and I discovered we shared an interest in the development of Warrior skills and other aspects of magic, so it seemed that life would become much duller for me once she had graduated and had to move out of the Residence."

"I discussed this with Lady Sonea and discovered that she, too, was reluctant to leave the Residence, so it seemed the right thing to do to marry immediately after her graduation so that there would be no interruption of our studies together."

"I hope that my explanation for the rather hurried nature of our marriage will reassure you."

Lorlen rose again, "Thank you, High Lord. Lady Sonea, please add anything you feel would help us to make the right decision."

He watched as Sonea came to the front of the hall. He noted how well she looked in her deep red Warrior's robes. She faced the audience and made certain that she looked at all sections of the hall. She spoke in a clear, calm voice.

"I was very shocked to hear of Lord Charen's concerns regarding the relationship between my former Guardian and myself before my graduation. I am willing to swear the most solemn oath that the High Lord behaved towards me with complete propriety during the period I was his Novice. There was never any indication from his behaviour that he regarded me as anything other than a Novice he was to guide and protect." Sonea glanced over to Lorlen, "Is there anything else, Administrator?"

Lorlen shook his head, "Thank you Lady Sonea."

As Lorlen started to ask if there were any questions, Akkarin spoke again, "There is one other thing which might be important. For some time, the King has been urging me to marry as he was concerned that the burdens of leading the Guild might prove rather draining without strong and supportive companionship. I have always resisted, but a few months ago, when I began to contemplate the loss of my Novice, I did discuss the situation with His Majesty and explained that some members of the Guild might think there was something odd in the speed of our marriage, and His Majesty was kind enough to say that he gave his complete approval."

_By the Eye, that is clever!_ Lorlen thought in amazement.

The King smiled at Akkarin and addressed the assembly, "That is perfectly true. High Lord Akkarin explained the situation to me and said that something like Lord Charen's concerns might arise. I assured him that marriage to his former Novice on the day of her graduation would have my full support. I am very happy to repeat that assurance here today."

Lorlen glanced over at Charen who had a stony look on his face. _He knows he's_ _lost this time,_ he thought.

Charen got to his feet slowly, "Your Majesty, I am pleased to have my concerns put to rest and to know that our system of guardianship remains unsullied. I would like to suggest that it is unnecessary for the Higher Magicians to vote on this matter, if Your Majesty agrees."

The King nodded graciously, "An excellent idea, Lord Charen."

The meeting broke up almost immediately as there was nothing further to say. Lorlen watched the magicians leave the hall, Charen was surrounded by some of his supporters and Lorlen could see that there were still some very unhappy faces amongst them.

"So Administrator, a successful meeting," Akkarin's voice sounded satisfied.

Lorlen turned to look at him, "You went to see the King some time ago about this? Then the impression that Rothen and I got that this was a last minute decision was false?" There was an edge of annoyance in Lorlen's voice.

Akkarin laughed softly, "Lorlen, Lorlen, you should know by now I usually have a long term strategy in mind. Of course it was obvious that Sonea would have to leave the Residence once she graduated and then I would no longer have a hostage. As that could not be allowed to happen, marriage was the only solution. So everything worked out just as I planned." His smiled broadened, "Perhaps you should ask yourself who sent the anonymous note to Lord Charen suggesting he might like to raise the issue?"

Lorlen watched the High Lord walk over to his wife and, taking her arm, leave the hall. _We can never defeat this man,_ he thought in despair. _He's always several moves ahead in the game. Sonea will be tied to him forever!_


	4. Looking to the Future

**Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan**

**Looking to the Future**

Takan wasn't worried as such, but he was concerned. There were wild rumours sweeping the servants' hall regarding the attempt to have the High Lord removed from office because he was suspected of having a forbidden relationship with his Novice. _Well, it certainly qualifies as intimate_, he thought with some amusement. _But there were no witnesses apart from me and no one asked for my opinion!_

The High Lord had said that he expected to be home in time for the evening meal and Takan supposed that was a good sign. Akkarin appeared very confident, but, as his servant knew, he always did, however there were times when that confidence was misplaced. _If the decision goes against him, what will it mean for Sonea? _ Takan wondered. _And for him too? The Guild has a wide range of punishments available._

Many servants, just like their masters and mistresses, did not like the idea of a former slum dweller entering the Guild and being treated as if she were nobly born. Marriage to the High Lord was the final straw for some and the majority of opinion seemed to agree that somehow the dwell girl had used sluttish behaviour to seduce the High Lord, whom everyone knew was not one for intimate relationships.

_Well, they are not far wrong_, Takan thought. _Sonea did seduce him, he would not have done anything about his feelings otherwise! And a good job, too, because it led to him teaching her what she needed to know to help him._

Takan took the lid off the large pot and stirred the contents. He hoped that they would not be delayed as he didn't think the meal would keep very long. Nothing upset him quite as much as serving a less than perfect meal. Everything was just about ready, so he left his kitchen assistant to keep an eye on things and went up to the dining room.

The table was set with the best china and crystal and Takan smiled as he remembered Sonea's reactions at the first formal dinner when he had used all the gold plate. _She certainly is a feisty girl!_ he thought approvingly, Just_ the sort of partner Akkarin needs._

He heard the front door open and went out into the hall. Akkarin and Sonea were just taking off their outer robes and were both laughing about something, so Takan knew that all had gone well.

"Good evening, Master, Lady Sonea," he said. "Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes."

They appeared promptly in the dining room and Takan started to serve the first course. There was a lot of happy chatter from both of them. _So different from when she first arrived here, _he thought with some relief.

"I'm sure Takan would like to know how you managed to organise things," Sonea said, grinning at her husband.

As Akkarin explained how he had got the King to agree in advance that marrying his Novice as soon as possible was a good idea, Takan was struck again at just how good Akkarin was at political manoeuvring. _He always manages to think three or four moves ahead, it's only his relationships with women which have been a problem and the girl has sorted that out for him!_

Akkarin's mental voice sounded loudly in his head, _Thank you Takan for those kind thoughts! Perhaps you should concentrate on dinner._

"Just when did you speak to the King?" Sonia asked.

"It was some time ago; I needed to have something to rely on if I still needed a hostage after you graduated. I could foresee several outcomes, and I tried to think of alternatives I might be able to use."

"What would you have done if we had not become lovers?" she asked curiously.

He smiled ruefully, "I would have forced you to become my wife, just as I forced you to become my Novice. It would not have been pleasant, but it could have been done. I much prefer this way!"

Sonea was silent for a few minutes and was probably trying to imagine a forced marriage and what that might have entailed.

"Yes, I much prefer this way too!" she said finally.

Takan served the next course, a spicy stew with his famous pickled vegetables. As they began to eat, he said, "Viola asked why Lady Sonea still had her own room and wondered if there were plans for her to move into yours."

An exasperated expression crossed Akkarin's face, "I wish the servants would mind their own business sometimes!" he said. "There must be no gossip about shared rooms. That would soon get back to Rothen or Lorlen and then there would be a lot of trouble."

Sonea said cheekily, "Perhaps Takan could hint to Viola that it's something to do with your House's customs. After all we people of the lower social classes know that all nobles are odd with very peculiar ways of going on!" She leered at Akkarin and pulled a funny face, but he just snorted.

After the meal was over, they left Takan to clear up and went into Akkarin's study. It had become one of their favourite rooms in the Residence and they spent a lot of their free time there. Akkarin poured wine for them both and they settled into the fireside chairs to spend a few minutes quietly watching the flickering flames, each lost in his or her own thoughts.

"I'm so glad that business with Charen is over," Sonea said after a while. "There has been a lot of quite nasty gossip, you know. I have been rather surprised at exactly who has been busy repeating it!"

"Yes and it won't stop just because the King has given his approval, so you'd better be prepared for some hostile whisperings."

She laughed, "It will be just like old times! But at least, they won't be lying in wait for me to see how many it takes to make me drain my power."

There was silence as they sipped their wine and continued to watch the flames, then Sonea said wistfully, "Do you think the Ichani have given up? There's been nothing for almost a year, not since we killed the woman. Perhaps the illusions convinced them and they won't try again."

Akkarin shook his head, "No, I don't think so. What we did has given them a lot to think about, but their basic plan remains the same, to attack and defeat the Guild and take revenge on Kyralia for the wars of the past. We should expect them to make a move sometime in the near future, so we need to be prepared. I still have not been able to arrive at a plan to defeat them without using forbidden magic so you need to continue your study of black magic. I have some more old books and parchments, which could be worth studying, and we can work through them together. Your work with the Warriors can also play a part in our preparations. We can try to build up a group of Warriors who can support us, without needing to teach them anything forbidden. You have made a very good impression on Balkan and others so I think Yikmo would be agreeable to you having a special group which can train using unconventional methods of fighting."

Sonea sat up and said quickly, "Yes, I could ask for volunteers and we could work on the sort of things you and I did. Yikmo still dislikes so-called dirty tricks, but I think he would let me work on them as an extra to the normal Warrior skills. Will you join in the group?"

"Yes, I seem to remember someone once telling me I need to work on my Warrior skills!"

Sonea blushed, "I shall never live that down. My only excuse is that was the time when I was beginning to fall in love with you and was horrified at myself for wanting an evil magician for my lover." She smiled at him prettily, "Am I forgiven?"

"We've both come a long way since then, Sonea," he said with a smile.

She got up, came over to him and sat on the floor, resting her head against his knees. "I have come so far, I can't imagine life without you now. You worry me sometimes when you talk about something happening to you. I want you to promise me that you will not take any chances; that you will do everything in your power to live, regardless of the cost."

Akkarin stroked her hair and said gently, "That's an impossible promise to make, and you know it. I've had a very long time to think about the Ichani and the dangers involved in fighting them. Almost from the beginning I thought I'd probably not survive and the only task I set myself was to go on as long as I could and kill as many as I could. Now there are two of us, so the chances for survival are greater, but I can't promise not to die, Sonea."

She took his hand and laid it against her cheek, "Then I will make you a promise. I swear by the Eye of Heaven to do everything in my power to keep you alive, not just for me, but for the Guild and Kyralia. If the Ichani come again and come in numbers, the Guild will need you, because it has no hope at all without you. And after we have defeated the Ichani, - and I do believe we will defeat them - for the rest of our lives we will live or die together and nothing and no one will come between us." Sonea moved her head and pressed a kiss into his palm.

There was a lot he wanted to say to her, but couldn't. _I wish I could tell you just how much you mean to me; that you have given me hope of a future I want desperately to have. But I have to think what might happen if you are left alone. You must be free to find happiness with another, not left to mourn for the rest of your life. _He found his thoughts drifting into melancholy and made a conscious effort to recapture his previous feelings of contentment.

Akkarin stood up and pulled her into his embrace, holding her close for a moment, then he placed his fingers under her chin and raised her face so he could look into her eyes, _That is a beautiful promise, Sonea,_ he sent. _I will remember it always._

She must have caught a trace of his emotions, because she stared at him intently before surrendering to his kiss. _Do you think the hearthrug looks comfortable? _she sent after a few, pleasurable minutes.

"Why worry about the future, when the present is so wonderful!" he murmured as he laid her carefully down on the rug.


	5. Thief, Magician and  Magician's Wife

**Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan**

The Thief, the Magician and the Magician's Wife

Dressed in his usual shabby disguise, Akkarin moved swiftly through the tunnels and passages which led from the Residence to the city. After so many years, he was completely familiar with all the branches, dead ends and narrow connections. which honeycombed the area. He had erected several magical barriers along his route to ensure that no curious novice or magician should stumble on the links to the Residence.

_It would not do for magicians to find my unofficial connection to the city_, he thought. _It would only cause them to examine my actions more closely and who knows where that would lead!_

He hadn't told Sonea of his midnight trip but had left her sleeping in his bed. He hoped to return before she awoke and started to wonder where he was. It wasn't that he wished to exclude her, but his nature was naturally secretive, reinforced by his years in Sachaka, as well as by studying forbidden magic and killing Ichani in Imardin. Although he had told her much of his secret work over the years, there was still a large part of it she knew nothing about. One aspect was the contribution made by Ceryni.

Since he had rescued Cery, a prisoner hidden away by Fergun and used to blackmail Sonea into lying at her Guardianship Hearing, Akkarin had taken the trouble to cultivate the young Thief. He was a useful contact in the underworld of the city and had proved particularly effective in tracking down the various people sent by the Ichani over the years. _I couldn't have done things so efficiently without him_, Akkarin acknowledged.

In return, Cery had gained from his unofficial association with the High Lord, the extra funds which it provided having helped him gather a band of loyal associates to work on his behalf. Although still young, Cery had proved himself to be a talented Thief and Akkarin believed that he would rise quickly through the Thieves' ranks.

Akkarin emerged from the final passage into a small deserted square. He was a little early, so he settled into the shadows to await his guide. Despite their relatively close association, Cery still did not allow Akkarin to know where the meeting would take place each time. _A wise move_, he thought, _For a dwell who does not trust magicians and the Guild. _

It wasn't long before the guide appeared and after an exchange of passwords, led Akkarin through a maze of narrow lanes before indicating a door in a long stone wall. Akkarin knocked the door in the prearranged sequence and it opened silently. He recognised Gol, Cery's huge bodyguard, and followed him through a weed-choked garden and into another building. Although from the outside, it appeared to be as run-down and neglected as its neighbours, inside, it was warm and comfortably furnished.

Cery was waiting in a largish room, with a merrily burning fire, comfortable chairs and a table laden with refreshments.

"Magician," Cery greeted his guest, as ever avoiding the use of any names.

"Thief," Akkarin acknowledged.

The niceties over, Cery poured wine for them both and indicated the plates of food. Akkarin helped himself to a tartlet. It wasn't that he was particularly hungry, but he knew that in the complex social rituals of the Thieves' world, eating and drinking refreshments provided by the host indicated trust.

"Well, Magician, I have nothing of interest to report. It's been another quiet month. Perhaps these rogue magicians have all been dealt with." Cery looked at his guest inquiringly.

Akkarin had not told Cery exactly who the Ichani were and what threat they really posed. As far as the Thief knew, they were rogue magicians who had escaped the control of the Guild and needed to be dealt with before they caused trouble for the unsuspecting citizens of Imardin.

"Perhaps," he acknowledged. "However, it is always wise to maintain vigilance, so I would like you to continue your good work, on the usual terms." Akkarin took another tartlet and sipped his wine, regarding his host over the rim of his glass.

Cery nodded, "I am happy to continue, Magician. It is good training for my men, there's nothing worse than having bored and idle men mooning about the city. Your work keeps them occupied when my own work is done."

Although the main business of the meeting had been concluded by this brief conversation, Akkarin gained the impression that there was something else on the young Thief's mind. It would have been easy to read his surface thoughts, or even slip into his mind to discover what it was, but that would be completely against the spirit of the agreement they'd made when they first started to work together.

From the very beginning, Cery had been adamant, "No magic stuff to be used against me or my men!" he'd said firmly. "My men don't know who you are or what you can do, and I'd like to keep it that way. As for me, I don't like magicians or magic and if I find you have been using it to investigate my affairs, I'll end our relationship." Akkarin had readily agreed and they'd sealed the agreement in the traditional Thieves' way by spitting into their palms and clasping hands.

So Akkarin continued sipping wine until Cery got round to whatever it was that was bothering him. He didn't have long to wait.

"Rather surprising news from the Guild recently," the Thief started, "It seems my old friend, Sonea suddenly got married. It was so sudden, apparently, she didn't even send a message to her oldest friend!"

Akkarin nodded, "Yes it was sudden, however, you need have no concerns for the well-being of your friend. She is well treated."

Cery continued to stare at his guest, "She was never one for hearts and flowers when she lived here. What changed her mind?"

Akkarin smiled, "She's been in the Guild for a number of years now, perhaps she changed her mind about the hearts and flowers."

Cery didn't return the smile, "Let's stop this polite airy-fairy chat and get down to the real stuff. Why the sudden marriage?"

"Why do people decide to get married, Ceryni?" Akkarin looked at him steadily, "Sonea and I decided we wanted to have a formal relationship, so we married, it's quite simple really."

Cery frowned, "Not so long ago, it would have been me asking her the question! We've had an understanding for years."

"I don't think that's entirely true, Thief. Sonea told me that she never even thought of marriage in the past. She is not a woman to lie." Akkarin's voice was calm.

Cery looked a little shame-faced, "Well, perhaps it wasn't a definite understanding, but it would have happened if she hadn't been taken into the Guild by your lot. You took her away from us and turned her into one of you. I've seen her from a distance, I can still get into your precious Guild undetected you know! She wears red now, so you've turned her into a Warrior…little Sonea….it's hard to believe…" His voice faded away and a look of sadness stole over his features.

"You lost her a long time ago, Thief," Akkarin said, not without sympathy. "You lost her the day she entered the Guild. As you say, she's one of us now, but that doesn't mean she's forgotten you or the life she led here. You must have heard of the work she's done to help poor people who can't afford a Healer. As my wife, she has a lot of money at her disposal and most of it she contributes to charities which help the poor."

"She's quite the noble now then, contributing to charities." There was a hint of contempt in the Thief's voice.

Akkarin sighed, "You can't have it both ways, Thief. Either Sonea is a bad person who has cut herself off from her friends and her roots and is living a carefree life unconcerned for anyone else, or she is a good person who tries to do what she can to help through contributing to charities. You know Sonea well, you say. Which do you think she is?"

Cery pulled a face, "You're right, Magician. I didn't intend to get into an argument about Sonea and the Guild. I just wanted to know why she married in such a hurry and, particularly, why she married you!"

"Would you believe me if I said we fell in love?"

Cery was silent for a moment, then he said, "I've no reason to doubt you Magician, you've always dealt fairly with me. If you say it's a love match, then I would have to believe it. But let me warn you. If I find out that you've lied to me or that Sonea is badly treated, I'll do what I can to deal with you!"

Akkarin smiled at him, "I know you would try, Thief and I'm pleased that Sonea has such a loyal friend. Do you wish to see her? I could arrange it. She doesn't know of our association though, she only knows I get information from someone in the city. I don't want her to know it's you. If you do meet, I'll rely on you not to tell her."

As he made his way back to the Residence, Akkarin smiled to himself. Cery was a true and loyal friend to Sonea and, although he was fully aware that he couldn't successfully fight a magician, he was still prepared to try to defend her. _The more I know of that young man, the more I like him,_ he thought.

As he reached the entrance to his underground room, he only had a split second warning from Takan's thoughts, so he was not fully prepared for what awaited him. Sonea was anxiously pacing the room and as the door opened, she whirled round and ran her eyes quickly over him, looking for any injuries or blood. Finding none, Akkarin could sense her relief, closely followed by rage.

"Where have you been?" her voice was angry. "I woke up to find you gone and your city clothes missing as well! I've been waiting here in this ghastly room for hours wondering if you were lying injured or worse somewhere. How dare you go off and not tell me!" Her voice rose as her rage grew.

Takan took one look at them both and decided that discretion was what was wanted and vanished before either noticed. Akkarin stepped fully into the room and began to take off his outer garments.

"Sonea…." he started to say, but she wouldn't let him go on.

"I've been going out of my mind with worry. How could you be so thoughtless!"

"Sonea," he tried again. "Calm down and I'll tell you." He had to repeat himself a couple of more times before she stopped to listen.

"I had a routine meeting with one of my contacts in the city. I'd hoped to be back before you woke, then none of this would have happened." He sighed, "Unfortunately, the conversation went on a bit longer than usual, and I'm late back. There's nothing to worry yourself about. There was no Ichani, nor any fighting." He kept his voice calm and continued to change out of his disguise.

As he'd hoped, Sonea began to quieten. She stopped moving about and came over to where he stood, half-undressed. She put her arms around him and laid her head on his chest.

"I thought you'd gone after another Ichani and left me behind! When you didn't come back after an hour or so, I began to think you were lying somewhere and I wouldn't know where to find you. I was frightened."

He raised her head and kissed her, "I'm sorry," he said, "I was thoughtless, but I did think I'd be back quickly and you would never have known I'd gone."

"How many times have you done this before?" She looked at him sharply, "Was it just bad luck this time I woke up?"

He could see suspicion start to grow in her eyes and hurriedly said, "No, I don't make a habit of sneaking out of bed and going off into the city. And before you ask, I went to see one of my contacts in the Thieves' Guild, a man, not a woman!"

Sonea said nothing, but remained in his embrace. He could feel her hands gently moving up and down his back, and he dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "Come on," he said, "Let me finishing changing and we can go upstairs."

Later, when they were back in his bed, he looked at her and smiled hopefully, "Am I forgiven?" he asked.

She smiled back, "Only if you promise not to give me such a fright again!"

"Have I ever told you that you are particularly beautiful when you are angry?" Akkarin looked at her, a warm glint in his dark eyes, "Your eyes flash and your cheeks go a very pretty pink…." He stopped speaking suddenly as a large pillow hit him squarely in the face.

"Don't think you can use that as an excuse to make me angry again!" she said, trying not to laugh. "You haven't seen me when I'm **really** angry and perhaps it's better that you never do!"

She raised herself up on an elbow and gazed down at him, then kissed the corners of his mouth, before pressing her lips to his.

_I was only angry because I was frightened_, she sent. _Every time I shut my eyes,_ _I kept seeing pictures of you injured, covered with blood, lost somewhere in the city. As time went on, I was more and more certain you were never coming home._

Akkarin pulled her close, so he could lay his cheek against her hair, "I promise I'll never go off without telling you again," he said.

They lay still for some time, and Akkarin was almost dropping off to sleep, when Sonea spoke again. "There's one way of making sure we both know what the other is doing. I want us to have a blood gem each and then there will be no uncertainties."

Akkarin was silent. There was so much about blood gems she didn't understand, but he wasn't sure how to explain them without upsetting her again.

"Blood gems tell the maker everything about the wearer, their emotions, their thoughts, their words, nothing can be hidden from the maker. They are not used as love tokens, Sonea. They are made to control the wearer and ensure the maker knows everything. I'm not sure a personal relationship could survive in those circumstances."

He glanced at her, but could see she didn't fully understand. He tried again.

"All personal relationships, even the strongest and the deepest, have moments when there are doubts and concerns, or a person experiences guilt over something. Usually, the individual works these things out, or some chosen aspects of them are discussed with the other. Having a blood gem link means that there would no longer be any choice. Everything would be exposed, nothing glossed over or hidden."

Just as he feared, she picked one thing out, "You have doubts? Is that what you're telling me?"

He moved position until he could look directly into her eyes, "Sonea, I have no doubts at all about us. I love you very much and I know you feel the same about me. That's not what I meant at all."

She gazed back at him for a moment, "I'm sorry. It was a silly thing to say. I need to learn more about exactly what blood gems do, is that what you mean?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean. I have an old parchment somewhere which explains it much better than I can. We'll look at it in the morning."

She kissed him deeply and settled down in his arms. Before long, her regular breathing told him she had fallen asleep. But there was no quick descent into sleep for Akkarin who found his mind going round and round over a single question.

_How will I be able to persuade her not to make a blood gem for me?_


	6. Cery

**Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan**

Cery

As the door closed behind his guest, Cery looked thoughtfully down at his plate and the remains of a tartlet. Even after all this time, he still experienced a faint feeling of surprise that he had a working relationship with the High Lord of the Magician's Guild. _None of my people, nor anyone_ _else in the city would believe it_, he thought with satisfaction.

For a long time, Cery had been regarded as too young and much too big for his boots. There were those, high up in the Thieves' Guild who had called for his expulsion or some other punishment on an almost regular basis, mainly he thought, because of what his father had done all those years before. But gradually he had succeeded in creating a small area of influence in the city and now he was working at extending it, not in an obvious way, but quietly, in a behind the scenes way, without upsetting anyone.

_The money comes in handy too_, he acknowledged. _It pays for a lot of favours_. He was well paid for his work in tracing the rogue magicians the High Lord was so concerned about_. Strange that they all seem to be foreign magicians,_ he thought_. Perhaps the Guild has a better control over Kyralian magicians so they don't go rogue. Still, it's none of my business who he wants tracked, Kyralian, foreign – it's all the same to me!_

It was some years now since he had been rescued by the High Lord from the dank prison where he'd been left by Fergun. At first, he hadn't recognised his rescuer, but once he had, he'd been afraid that he'd escaped one dangerous magician only to fall into the hands of another, even more dangerous, one. But it hadn't worked out that way. It was not long afterwards that he'd received a message from the High Lord and at the meeting which followed, they had arrived at a working relationship which had carried on smoothly since then, to the satisfaction of all.

Cery poured himself another beer and crammed a sweet cake into his mouth. As he chewed, he thought about Akkarin. The first time he'd seen him out of his robes and dressed like a normal person, Cery had been struck by how young he was to have risen to such an important position. _That first time, I would have said he was only a few years_ _older than me_, he thought. _I know that magicians don't age as fast as normal people, but even so, he seemed a very young man. _

Cery took another sweet cake, they really were delicious, and popped it whole into his mouth. His jaws worked rhythmically as he enjoyed his snack. _Akkarin would make a good Thief,_ he thought, _The way he thinks through a problem, looking at all the angles, then makes a plan to cover all eventualities, that is what being a good Thief is all about!_

_I've learned a few things from watching him over the years. It's a pity he's one of them._

Despite his long association with the High Lord, Cery still had strong feelings about magicians. He didn't like them at all and he'd found trusting one quite difficult. _But, strangely enough, I do trust him._ _He's always done what he said he would do and he pays his dues regularly and on time. _ The fact, too, that Cery's closest friend had been found to have magic was a severe blow and he felt her loss to the Guild deeply. He told himself that their relationship was just beginning to change to a more adult one when she had been taken from him, so he was doubly resentful of magic and magicians.

It was a long time since he had had an opportunity to talk to Sonea. He had seen her, of course, because it was true what he'd said to Akkarin, he still visited the Guild grounds and he'd caught glimpses of her at a distance, but there had been no chance to talk. _I'll hold him to his promise to arrange a meeting,_ he decided_. I want to reassure myself that she's all right._

That thought brought him back to the worries he'd had earlier when he found out she'd married the High Lord. At first, he couldn't believe it and thought his informant had made a mistake, but it was soon confirmed. In the space of one day, Akkarin had gone from being her Guardian to being her husband. Although he wasn't familiar with the way the Guild operated, even Cery thought that was highly unusual and the gossip his network of informants brought him soon confirmed that it was.

_A love match?_ he wondered, _Could it be true? Could Sonea have fallen in love with a magician? _He had no doubts at all that a magician could have fallen in love with Sonea. Cery always thought of her with deep affection, with memories of her dry wit, her sense of humour, her love of challenge and adventure and above all, her loyalty to her friends still fresh in his mind. He had fallen in love with her himself for all these reasons and more, so he was convinced that Akkarin had feelings for her. _What man wouldn't? _ _But Sonea? She always hated magicians and tried her hardest to escape when the Guild were searching for her._

In the end, the Guild had caught her and she'd disappeared into the ranks of the large number of magicians living in Imardin. She'd spent more than five years living with magicians, studying to become one and developing her magic. _What would she have in common with normal people now?_ he thought._ Akkarin is right, I lost her the day she entered the Guild. She is not one of us any longer, she's one of them!_

That thought didn't make it any easier to think of her married to someone else. _Although if she was going to marry a magician, I guess I prefer it to be the one I know best, the one I feel I can trust. _

Cery reached for another cake, but to his surprise the plate was empty. It had been full when he started and he had no recollection of eating them all. He sighed, "What a waste, I can't even remember tasting them! They were expensive too!"

_So_, he thought_, Where does all this thinking leave me? I have to accept that Sonea and I are different people now, living in different worlds and she will never come back to mine. _That had been his secret wish all the while she had been away, that one day she would return. _She's married the High Lord, a magician and a member of a wealthy and important House_. _There is no way back now, to what might have been._

Cery sighed. For years he had had this romantic idea that once she had learned how to control her magic, Sonea would leave the Guild to live once again in the city, perhaps working with ordinary people to make things better. Part of this dream was that she would live with him and they would be together again, as they had been growing up.

_That will never happen now_, he thought. _It's no use thinking about it any longer. She is out of my reach and the sooner I can accept that, the sooner I can get on with my life!_


	7. Lorlen's Worries

**Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan**

**Lorlen's Worries**

Lorlen's duties as Administrator of the Guild were heavy and took up a lot of his time. Whilst the High Lord did all the glamorous things like big diplomatic missions and acting as an Advisor to the King, the Administrator's task was to make sure the Guild continued to operate at its most efficient best. That involved sorting out squabbles between various magicians or arguments between the three Disciplines and most of all, dealing with the paperwork. Lorlen didn't mind the work. _If I am being honest,_ he thought, _I rather like dealing with paperwork. I would never have made a good High Lord, but I am a good Administrator!_

He sighed, _I always believed Akkarin was a good High Lord – we made an excellent team working together over the years – then I had to find out what Sonea had seen!_

Many times since then, Lorlen had regretted bitterly finding out Akkarin's terrible secret. _Things could have gone on as they did before and no one would have been any the wiser. _But now Lorlen felt he was living in a nightmare. He was no nearer to finding a way to deal with Akkarin than he'd been at the beginning. Rothen had returned from his visit to Dorrien, still angry about the marriage, but Lorlen could offer him no hope of doing anything about it soon.

_Yes, that marriage_, he mused, _If I thought it was strange at the start, I think it is even stranger now..._

Akkarin had been right; Lorlen had not had another opportunity to speak to Sonea alone. He had tried once, when he found her coming out of the Library one day, but she'd looked pointedly at his blood gem ring, shaken her head and murmured a neutral greeting before moving away quickly. He hadn't attempted it again. However he had endeavoured to watch out for her, to see how she was faring. It eased his guilty conscience by making him think he was doing something.

Contrary to his initial expectations, Sonea showed no signs of being particularly distressed. _She learnt to hide her feelings when she first joined the Guild_, he reasoned, _So that doesn't really tell me much_. In company with Akkarin, at formal events, she appeared quiet, perhaps even subdued at times, but she was always calm. She dutifully stood next to the High Lord, the picture of a loyal wife supporting her important husband. Lorlen noticed that Akkarin watched her, without appearing to do so, moving her away from difficult conversations or standing where he could overhear what she was saying.

_Poor Sonea_, he thought unhappily, _What must it be like to be under that constant scrutiny?_

Still, all of that was not surprising, given that Sonea had been forced into the marriage. What was surprising was the glances she exchanged sometimes with Akkarin, when she thought no one was watching.

_Friendly glances_, Lorlen mused to himself. _Almost as if they were sharing something._

Akkarin had changed too, perhaps only he, who had known the High Lord well, since they had entered the Guild together as boys, would be aware of the subtle changes, but he could see them clearly. Akkarin seemed warmer, somehow, less distant as if he had discovered something about life which pleased him.

_Oh Great Eye of Heaven!_ Lorlen suddenly thought in panic, _Don't tell me he's seduced her! He can be particularly charming as I know only too well and he's always liked a challenge._

Lorlen's mind would not let go of this awful thought and he remembered an incident in the Residence gardens one evening, a few weeks ago, while he was on his way to see the High Lord. As he came up the path, he saw Sonea and Akkarin in the distance; they had stopped and were having a conversation. There was nothing unusual in that, until under Lorlen's disbelieving gaze, Sonea put her hand up and smoothed Akkarin's hair. At the time, Lorlen had thought his eyes were perhaps playing tricks on him, it was after all, late evening and the shadows were lengthening, but now, thinking about the changes he'd noticed and the few shared glances, he was half-way to being convinced that Akkarin had somehow seduced the vulnerable young woman.

_How can I find out what's happening?_ he thought. _She won't talk to me and I can't speak to Rothen, as there's no telling what he might do._

He glanced down at the blood gem ring lying on his desk. He had got into the habit of taking off sometimes as a minor act of defiance. He would have to put it on soon, as Akkarin didn't like him not wearing it and would make his displeasure known in one of a number of uncomfortable ways.

_I shall have to try to watch them more closely,_ he thought, slipping the ring on his finger_. Now, back to the paperwork!_

Over the next few days, Lorlen thought of, then dismissed, several courses of action he could take. It really was difficult as he only had the few minutes when he wasn't wearing the ring to think things through. Akkarin had already made a pointed comment about him "….forgetting to dress properly…", so he found himself reluctant to take it off for long periods.

He had heard about the special Warrior training classes that Sonea was holding and the crowd of onlookers they attracted, so he decided to go along to see if he could learn anything more from her behaviour. The sessions were held in the evenings, after the usual classes were over. As they were an extra training period, Yikmo had originally thought only a few keen young Warriors would attend, but in the end, they were so popular that Sonea was running several sessions.

When he arrived at the Arena, Lorlen was surprised to see many of the benches taken largely by novices. It seemed that Sonea's high profile as a talented female Warrior was indeed attracting interest from female novices. _That will please_ _Balkan,_ Lorlen thought. In the centre of the ring, he could see around twenty Warriors, all dressed in deep red trousers and shirts, rather than robes. In the middle of them, he could see Sonea. She was also dressed in trousers and shirt, and her hair, which had grown significantly over the past few months, was tied back with a ribbon, masculine style.

Lorlen was too far away to hear what she was saying, but it was obviously some sort of instruction, because the group suddenly broke up into smaller groups which moved to different parts of the Arena.

What followed was a stunning display of fluid, athletic movements and sharply controlled forcestrikes which covered every square inch of the Arena, frequently curving to hit specific points where markers had been placed. Lorlen could hear admiring comments being made by the group of novices closest to him and he thought to himself that there would soon be a number of young females clamouring to join the Warriors when the time came for choices to be made.

Sonea called her students over and there followed an animated discussion. She sent them off again and this time, some of them tried using forcestikes whilst engaged in something rather like acrobatics. However, the markers were mainly left untouched and it was obvious that this was a new approach, which required a lot more practice.

The students moved to the edge of the Arena as three Warriors took their places in the middle. Lorlen saw it was Sonea and Yikmo, but didn't recognise the third for a few seconds. _Akkarin!_ he thought in amazement. The High Lord had abandoned his black robes for the Warrior red trousers and shirt, and stood in the exact middle with Sonea and Yikmo on opposite sides of him.

The practice began conventionally with Sonea and Yikmo using forcestrikes to move Akkarin around the Arena. Then, by accident or design, Akkarin slipped and the other two moved in for the disabling blow. To the audience's amazement, several Warriors now appeared at various points in the Arena, and began sending forcestrikes against Sonea and Yikmo, who were soon surrounded and having to spread their strikes to keep the attackers away from them.

Meanwhile, whilst his opponents were distracted, Akkarin got to his feet and moved into the circle of Warriors. The action picked up pace and Lorlen could no longer distinguish the High Lord among the others. There was an almost blinding set of forcestrikes coming from every part of the Arena, making it difficult to identify individual Warriors. It soon became apparent that Sonea and Yikmo were being driven back and contained in a small part of the Arena.

It took only a minute or two for them to be completely neutralised. As they held up their hands to show surrender, the forcestrikes stopped and all the Warriors except for Akkarin vanished.

_Illusions, they were all illusions!_ Lorlen thought and he heard Akkarin's mental voice sound cheerfully in his head, _Yes, Administrator, all is illusion_.

In the Arena, Sonea, Yikmo and Akkarin were all smiling broadly and acknowledging the applause of their audience. Lorlen noticed another shared glance between Akkarin and his wife, so brief that had he not been looking for it, he would have missed it.

Yikmo held up his hand for silence, "What you have seen today is a new technique devised by the High Lord which we hope to teach to as many Warriors as possible who show themselves exceptionally strong in forming illusions. The High Lord has managed to create illusions which appear not only to move and use Warrior attack movements convincingly but also seem to send forcestrikes in a variety of directions. This technique will be particularly useful when fighting against foes who are greater in strength because it causes them to deplete their power to no real purpose. The High Lord will be testing Warriors who wish to learn this new skill and only those who can create really powerful illusions will be accepted. Needless to say Lady Sonea is already capable of forming such illusions, having been trained by the High Lord whilst still a Novice. She will be holding extra classes for those who have the right skills, no doubt helped on occasion by the High Lord himself."

Yikmo called for questions and for several minutes he dealt with the enthusiastic responses of the watching magicians. Lorlen could see that perhaps for the first time in many years, the Warrior Discipline was able to appeal to a wide variety of novices, which should solve its recruitment issues for the foreseeable future.

"Well, Administrator? What do you think of my new idea? Akkarin's voice as charming as ever came suddenly from close behind him. Looking at him, Lorlen could see just how much he had enjoyed displaying his Warrior skills again. His face was flushed and there was a warm glint in his eyes.

"It is most unusual, High Lord," he replied coldly. "Did you need special abilities in old magic to develop it?"

"Ah, Lorlen, you do know how to bring things down to earth." Now Akkarin's voice was its usual cold and distant self. "Balkan is enthusiastic, anyway, so it will become part of the normal Warrior training in time."

"Why did you teach it to Sonea?" Lorlen asked grimly, "Wasn't it enough that you somehow turned a potential Healer into a Warrior?"

Akkarin laughed humourlessly, "When one's Novice turns out to have exceptional Warrior skills and is likely to graduate as the best Warrior of her year, it seemed rather foolish not to teach her the best fighting tactics. After all, Administrator, who knows whom she might be called upon to fight for the good of the Guild." With that, the High Lord walked away to where Sonea was standing, deep in conversation with Yikmo and a few eager novices.

Later on, alone in his room, and with the blood gem ring removed, Lorlen thought about events at the Arena. There was no doubt it was a fascinating display of an entirely new approach to Warrior skills that would definitely encourage more recruits, but he was more concerned with the illusion trick devised by the High Lord.

_Akkarin was the best Warrior of his year,_ he remembered, _So it's really no surprise that he should rediscover an interest in developing new fighting skills, but the fact that he taught his new technique to Sonea while she was still his Novice implies a much closer relationship between them than I'd imagined. _

_But the biggest question of all is why teach this trick to others in the Guild, when it could be used to defeat the High Lord himself?_

Lorlen was still trying to answer this question when sleep overcame him late in the night.


	8. Books and Baths

**Disclaimer – I not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan**

Books and Baths

There was a sudden loud sound of falling books and then a series of sneezes from the far end of the Library basement. Akkarin looked up from the parchments he was sorting and called out, "What happened? Are you all right?"

Sonea emerged out of the shadows, still sneezing and looking rather annoyed. "When you said let's go over to the Library and have a look through some old books, this is not exactly what I had in mind!"

They had been relaxing in Akkarin's study after dinner, talking about the history of the Guild, when Akkarin had suggested looking for some more information in the Library. The early days of the Guild were somewhat clouded in mystery and even the historians at the Guild itself sometimes got into a muddle trying to explain its early history. Sonea had always loved the Library and spent a lot of time there when she was a Novice, so she readily agreed. However, she hadn't realised that Akkarin had the basement in mind for the search.

The underground storeroom was huge. It ran the whole length and width of the Library and judging from the layers of dust on almost everything, it looked as if no one had been in it for decades. There were shelves all along the walls, filled with books, most of which seemed to have been crammed in without any thought given to potential damage or even anyone wishing to read the titles. There were large and small wooden chests, shoved in any available nook or cranny, without any attempt to create an easily searchable collection of material. In addition, there were other huge, doorless cabinets placed back to back in lines to form a series of corridors crossing the main body of the area, also stuffed with books and loose papers as well as parchments. As everything was covered in dust, moving even the smallest book risked releasing a cloud of dust particles and dead insects.

Akkarin went over and offered her a large handkerchief. She took it and wiped the dust from her face and shook her head to loosen any debris from her hair. "Do you know exactly what we are looking for?" she asked. "Everything is in such a mess, it's hard to even work out which piles have been here the longest!"

Akkarin shook his head, "I've been searching this place for years, ever since I was elected, in fact, as I am sure there is a lot of information which would be very useful to us in our struggles with the Ichani, but it is very difficult to find anything easily. It looks as if every so often, the Librarian of the day had a clear out of old books and papers and simply shoved them in any available space down here and forgot about them. We must just have patience and work systematically."

"Have you ever found anything?" she asked curiously.

"I once found a chest of books hidden right at the back of one of the bookshelves, which were very useful, but not a lot else. However, now I have you to help, it should be much easier." He grinned at her, "You are young and supple, so you should be able to get into the difficult corners or crawl into the narrow openings!"

Sonea pulled a face and groaned theatrically, "You only invited me here so you could take advantage of my body!"

Akkarin raised his eyebrows and smiled crookedly, "Is that an invitation?"

She looked around at the dusty books and dirty floor, "Don't even think about it in here. I'm much too used to soft beds or comfortable hearthrugs now."

They went back to examining their respective piles. Whether by accident or design, the High Lord had the easier task. He'd dragged a chest over to a small table and was examining the piles of parchments it contained. He found two or three of them rather difficult to read and put them aside for further study later. Most of the others were multiple copies of rather dull rules, but he did find one, which was a later copy of an early document concerned with the setting up of the Guild.

At the other end of the basement, Sonea wasn't having much luck with her pile. It consisted of very old and rather heavy books, which had already overbalanced once and now looked as if they were in a mood to fall over again. There was no table where she was working, so she was squatting on the floor, having used Akkarin's handkerchief and a tiny bit of magic to clean a small space, balancing a heavy book across her lap while she tried to take in the contents.

_Trust His High and Mighty Lordship to have a table and a chair_, she grumbled to herself, _Whilst I have to make do with the floor! I'll give him "young and supple". He's supposed to be a fit Warrior in the peak of condition, so why doesn't he sit on the floor?_

The book seemed to be nothing more than descriptions of formal dinners and guest lists, so she slammed it shut, releasing a small cloud of dust, and pushed it off her lap on to the floor where it landed with a hollow bump. She sighed and picked up another book. It too was full of unimportant information, this time listing every visitor to the Guild in a particular year, over five hundred years before. _Why would anyone want to keep this information for hundreds of years, _she wondered. _They could have got rid of it after fifty years, by that time they would probably all have been dead_ _anyway_!"

They worked on for another hour, before Akkarin came down to Sonea's end and suggested they return to the Residence. He was carrying four or five parchments and Sonea had a smallish book, which looked as if it could be useful. They returned to the Residence, using the same passages which had brought them to the Library unobserved.

Stepping out into a corridor on the ground floor, Sonea took one look at herself in a mirror and said she needed a bath. She looked at Akkarin who was equally dusty and suggested he would benefit from a long soak in warm water too.

He smiled and said reflectively, "Why don't we share a bath? There's no sense in making work for the servants. My bath is certainly big enough for two."

Sonea looked at him for a moment before grinning. "What a good idea, saving work for the servants, I mean. I don't mind the sacrifice of not having a bath to myself, if it would make their life easier!"

A few minutes later and they were both standing by the edge of the High Lord's rather large sunken bath, looking at the gently steaming water, neither wanting to be the first to get in.

"The water will be cold if you don't make up your mind soon," Akkarin said gently. "Shall I get in first?"

He was amused to notice a faint flush on his wife's face. He found it touching that after all this time, she could still be nervous and uncertain, when it came to things of the flesh. He stripped off his dusty clothes dropping them in a heap, stepped into the bath and lay back in the water. He looked up at Sonea, still standing there, and held out his hand.

"I won't let you slip," he said reassuringly. As she started to move, he added, "It might be a good idea if you took off your clothes first!"

Her colour deepened as she quickly got out of her dusty clothes. She took his hand and stepped over the edge and down into the water. There was enough room for them to sit side-by-side in the bath, in fact, it seemed as if there was room enough for several people. _I wonder why they thought High Lords needed such a large bath,_ she sent. _It really is quite big_.

Akkarin reached over and grabbed the soap, "Shall I wash your back?" he asked cheekily. He lathered the soap and began to smooth it over her shoulders and back. He cupped his hands then poured the warm water over her to rinse the soap away. She leaned back against him with a sigh. _I love a nice warm bath_, she sent.

_Perhaps my predecessors liked company in their bath_, he sent, answering her earlier question. _I rather like company myself._

Sonea giggled and sent him pictures of her imaginings of what previous High Lords might have got up to in the water.

_Now that's an interesting idea_, Akkarin responded as she sent a particularly detailed picture. _Shall we try it?_

She turned to look at him and smiled, before threading her arms around his neck, pulling them both down into the water. _Yes._ she sent as her lips met his_, I've always wondered what lovemaking in water would be like._


	9. Guild History

**Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan**

Guild History

Akkarin sighed and threw the parchment down on the floor to join the others. It was the third one he had painfully picked his way through in the last hour and he was no closer to finding out anything useful than he had been at the start.

He sat back in his chair and stretched his shoulders and neck. It felt as if he had been hunched over the documents for hours, if not days. It had seemed like a good idea this morning. Spend a little time in his study, looking at the parchments he had taken from the Library the previous night, and make a few notes on the interesting information they were bound to contain.

_Our Guild predecessors seem to have had a deep and abiding passion for recording the tiniest, and most boring, details of daily life,_ he thought grumpily. _If I read one more note on the important visitors that Lord So-and-So had in an afternoon, compared with the less important, single visitor Lady Whatsername had, I shall scream!_

He glanced over at the clock, only a few more minutes, then he would have to get ready for a meeting of the King's Advisors at the Palace. _Can I get in the mood for a long and detailed discussion on how we should celebrate the Queen's birthday?_ he wondered. _If they get involved in an acrimonious argument about which Houses should be invited to sit at the top table again, I shall feel like banging their heads together and telling them to stop behaving like children!_

Akkarin laughed softly to himself, _It's certainly not the glamorous life some people think, being High Lord! I've lost count of the number of very dull meetings I've attended in the last few weeks and I've been doing this for years now. No wonder previous High Lords tended to be much older magicians – they'd probably reached a time in life when they enjoyed boring meetings and used them as an opportunity to catch up on some sleep._

_Still, it isn't all bad_, he reflected. _There's a lot about being High Lord which I enjoy very much! Living in the Residence, away from all the others is a real bonus. It has also been a crucial part of being able to deal with the Ichani. And of course, I rather like the power!_

There was only one parchment left to examine, then it would be back to the Library basement to search out some more. He wondered if Sonea would have better luck with the book she had chosen. He hadn't seen much of her today as she'd been working with Yikmo since early morning. She wouldn't be home until later this evening either, so any further work would have to wait until then.

The meeting was as difficult and as ill-tempered as Akkarin had feared. The King had great difficulty in controlling two of his Advisors, who had almost come to blows over the seating arrangements for the Queen's Birthday Dinner. The High Lord tried to stay out of the argument, but eventually had to make his opinions known when the King appealed to him for help.

_Poor Merin_, Akkarin thought, _He really wasn't cut out for coping with older, more determined men. I blame his father who never really taught him how to be King._

Akkarin had a good relationship with the King. They were of an age and he'd been one of his boyhood companions, before entering the Guild, so he knew him quite well. Unfortunately, Merin tended to rely on the High Lord to support him, even when Akkarin thought the King was wrong about something. It took all of his best diplomatic skills to both keep the King's favour and prevent him from making too many serious mistakes.

Akkarin went into his study and made a conscious effort to clear his mind of what had happened that day. It was really no use going over things he couldn't change. He poured himself a large glass of wine and wandered over to his desk. He took out a clean sheet of paper, some pens and opened a bottle of ink. He reached for the last parchment and began to read.

This one looked more promising. _At least it is not full of details about purely social events_, he thought gratefully. It seemed to be a copy of something a lot older and, although the writing was faded, with some words indecipherable, it seemed to be describing some earlier, and quite important event. Akkarin began to make a few notes.

He was so absorbed in his work, that he was startled when a voice suddenly said, "That must be really interesting, I've been saying your name for at least a couple of minutes now and you haven't noticed!" He looked up to find Sonea smiling down at him. She came round the desk, kissed his cheek and peered over his shoulder at the document.

"So, what have you found? Is it what you wanted? Tell me all about it"

"It's describing some events which took place not long after the Guild was founded. Hopefully, by the time I've finished working through it, I will have the information I need."

"I'm not exactly sure what it is you are looking for," she said with a grimace, "You haven't been very clear."

"I know, but it's really a case of 'I'll know it, when I see it' which is not very helpful when you are trying to explain what you need to a fellow researcher!"

Sonea went over to the side table and poured herself some wine. She came back and perched on the edge of his desk.

"I never liked the lessons on Guild history," she confessed, "So I didn't really pay much attention. Exactly how long has the Guild been in existence?"

He laughed, "Ask several Guild historians and you'll get several different answers. It seems in the beginning things were happening so quickly, no one had time to write it all down. When things were settled and they started to think about recording events, quite a bit of time had passed, several important leaders were dead or too old to remember properly, so they did the best they could. A lot of the material is more like people's memories of what they think happened, rather than what actually did happen."

"But people must know how old it is!"

"It was founded after the Sachakan Wars, so it must be round about six hundred years old. The aftermath of the war and all the problems it caused sorting things out meant that things were forgotten. As I said, a lot of the stuff in the documents are memories of other people's memories and not particularly reliable."

"Perhaps the Guild should have another Discipline which deals properly with history and records," she suggested. "You should speak to Lorlen."

Akkarin pulled a face, "I don't think the Administrator would take too kindly to that suggestion. He thinks he has enough to do coping with three Disciplines."

Sonea took herself off upstairs to change into clean clothing and Akkarin went back to the parchment. He had worked his way through most of it; there were only a couple of paragraphs left. By the time Sonea returned, he had completed the document.

"At last!" he said, "Something very useful. Listen." He began to read from the document, 'The'….something, I can't quite make out….'festival took place out in the open air so that the Eye of Heaven could pour…blessings…' I think, '…over the company. High Lord Hetron, wore his new robes to honour the Eye and….' the next bit is unreadable, but it seems to be describing symbols worn by the Magicians. The rest seems to be talking about some sort of ceremony." He looked up at Sonea, "That's really interesting!"

She frowned, "I don't understand. Why is it so interesting? It's rather like the stuff I was reading last night, descriptions of social events and ceremonies."

"It's what it says about Hetron and his robes."

Sonea still looked puzzled, "I can't see what's important about that!"

"Look at me, how would you describe my robes?"

"Black, mysterious and, I would say, particularly sensual" she smiled.

"Be serious! Would you describe them as honouring the Eye? If you wanted new robes to honour the eye, what colour would you choose?"

She thought for a moment, then said, "If I were in charge right at the beginning, I would choose silver or white to honour the Eye, definitely not black."

"Exactly! It's my belief that in the beginning, High Lords did not wear black robes, but white or silver ones. What we need to find out next is when the High Lords changed the colour of their robes and, more importantly, why."

Sonea groaned, "If it's taken you this long to find that one little sentence of useful information, how long is it going to take to find the answer to your question? I can see many more dusty nights ahead!"

Akkarin smiled wickedly, "Ah, but don't forget, after the dust comes the bath!"


	10. Worries, Fears and Instructions

**Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan**

Rothen's Worries, Lorlen's Fears and the High Lord's Instructions

"There has to be something you can do, Lorlen," Rothen's voice sounded worried, but also with a hint of weariness; he had been pleading his case for some time now. "It's been so long since we found ourselves in this mess and nothing's happened except poor Sonea is even more firmly in a trap than she was before."

Lorlen looked over at his companion. _I can't say he looks any better than he did before he went away,_ he thought. _But I don't know what he thinks I can do._

"I had thought of going to the King, but Akkarin producing him at Charen's meeting, all keen to support his High Lord, put a stop to that. I can't complain about the marriage without mentioning the other thing and we both know what could happen if we try to challenge Akkarin." Lorlen tried to sound calm and sensible.

He twisted the blood gem ring on his finger. _What do you want me to say? _ he silently asked the High Lord. He had a sense that Akkarin was sitting on the edge of his mind, listening to the conversation, but there was no answer to his question.

Rothen put a hand over his forehead and pressed hard, as if he were suffering a headache, "I need to talk to Sonea," he said at last. "I need to find out from her what things are like."

Lorlen groaned inwardly, they had been over this so many times. "Look, Rothen, you know as well as I do that there's no chance of that. The last time I spoke to her alone was at the Graduation Ball and Akkarin warned me then that it would be the last chance I'd have. He'd be even more wary of letting **you** near her, because he knows how you feel about her and about him. I've done my best to keep an eye on her. She seems to be dealing with things reasonably well. Yikmo is thrilled to have her working with him in the Arena and her work with the younger novices has been well received by the other tutors. When I've watched her practising, she looks as if she is enjoying it immensely, so at least, she has that."

Lorlen got up and poured Rothen some more tea. He passed him a plate of cakes, but the Alchemist was in no mood for snacks, waving them away angrily.

"I shall make an opportunity to see her. I managed it once or twice when she was still a Novice. I noticed the times she usually went back to the Residence and I simply waited in the gardens. Of course, we can't spend a lot of time talking, but at least he's not there to control her."

Lorlen was aghast, "We can't afford to upset Akkarin. Who knows what his reaction might be! We don't want Sonea coming down with some mysterious illness, which keeps her in the Residence. Look, Rothen, leave it for a few days and I'll try to persuade Akkarin to let you see her. Will that do?"

Although Rothen didn't look particularly pleased by the suggestion, he reluctantly agreed to wait before doing anything rash. After he had gone, the Administrator poured himself more tea and sat back with a sigh.

_I used to be fond of Rothen, but I'm heartily sick of him regularly coming into my office and demanding action,_ he thought. He caught a sense of Akkarin's amusement and sudden anger flared inside him. He took off the ring and flung it down.

_Free_, he thought, _Now I can think what I like! _But his brain was tired and he couldn't really concentrate on anything. Suddenly the tea wasn't enough, and he found himself pouring wine and tossing back the contents of his glass in a couple of swallows.

He wasn't entirely surprised a few minutes later when the door to his office opened and the High Lord stalked in. He had never understood why many other magicians found Akkarin intimidating, until he'd discovered his secret. Now he could see the cold, dispassionate look others had always mentioned. His very height, coupled with the dark, all encompassing robes made him a figure it was easy to fear. That, and the fact that he always seemed to know what was going on, with or without blood gem rings.

"High Lord," he acknowledged.

Akkarin smiled and poured himself a glass of Anuran Dark, "I'm glad to see you are keeping up my stock of wine, Lorlen."

He sat down, stretched out his legs and stared at the Administrator. He didn't say anything, but Lorlen felt as if he was examining him from the inside out.

"You have taken off your ring again," Akkarin said mildly. "I have spoken to you before about this, but perhaps you need a stronger incentive to comply with my wishes…"

"What do you mean?"

"I can always arrange for Sonea to have a more restricted role in the Guild." Akkarin gazed at Lorlen, his expression hard to read. "It would be a shame, because she enjoys her work, but I am sure I can find her something to fill up her days inside the Residence."

Lorlen stared back and hoped his face was equally blank. He had a sudden memory of the young Akkarin and some scrape they'd both fallen into and the joyful expression on his face as he explained to Lorlen just how they were going to get out of it.

"What's happened to you, Akkarin?" he said sadly. "How can you have changed so much? I'd have bet my life on your integrity and honesty once. Now I just don't feel I ever knew you at all."

The High Lord sipped his wine and continued to stare at the Administrator. Lorlen found the silence unnerving, but resisted the urge to fill the gap with chatter. Akkarin finished the wine and poured another.

"Perhaps I simply grew up," he said at last. "Have you ever thought, Lorlen, about life in the Guild? We enter as young boys and rarely leave it until we die, very old men. We spend our days playing with magic, reading the odd book, gossiping with other magicians and the real world rarely touches us at all."

Lorlen opened his mouth to argue, but Akkarin got in first, "Yes, I know there are Healers out there, working in the villages and some in the city, but most of the Guild's magicians live a very comfortable life here, safe, secure and wanting for nothing. Everything is provided for them and in return they do a little teaching or carry out a few experiments and go to parties. That is their life. That is your life, Lorlen."

Lorlen found there was little he could say to disprove Akkarin's arguments. He knew there were magicians who never went outside the Guild's gates.

Akkarin laughed softly, "Have you ever wondered why you spend so much time dealing with petty squabbles between magicians? It's because they've nothing else to think about except themselves and their place in the Guild. Sonea hit the Guild like a breath of fresh air and for the first time in living memory, magicians have had to come to terms with the fact that there are people out there with magic, with strong magic, who are not noble, or wealthy, or sophisticated, but ordinary, poor and uneducated. The Guild will change, Lorlen, but it will take a long time."

Lorlen was astonished. He'd never heard Akkarin say things like this before. _Has Sonea had that much influence on him?_ he wondered.

The High Lord laughed briefly, "Even without the ring, you're easy to read, Lorlen. No, I don't think these things just because of Sonea, although she has provided a very good example of what needs to happen to the Guild. No, these ideas have been running through my mind for some time and very soon, I shall have to decide what to do about them. Now, are you now ready to wear the ring as I said you must, or shall I try other forms of persuasion?"

Lorlen picked it up and slipped it on his finger. "No, don't do anything' I'll wear the dammed thing. What do you want me to do about Rothen? Will you let him see Sonea?"

Akkarin looked thoughtful, "I don't think it would serve any purpose except to upset Sonea. I'm sure you wouldn't want that to happen, would you Lorlen?"

"Don't you have any regard for Sonea at all?" Lorlen asked earnestly. "You must have got to know her a little in all this time, don't you feel bad about putting her in this position?"

A strange expression showed fleetingly on the High Lord's face, but it vanished so quickly, Lorlen was unable to read it clearly. "Sonea and I have worked out an arrangement which allows us to live comfortably enough in the Residence. She is not forced to do things she would not wish to do, other than live with me, of course, and I retain my freedom of action. As long as everyone continues to behave themselves, there is no reason to think that Sonea would be badly treated."

Lorlen nodded, it was what he expected, after all. _Sonea does seem to be relatively happy,_ he thought. _That's probably the best I can hope for at the moment_.

Akkarin unfolded his tall frame from the chair and smiled briefly at Lorlen, "I'm glad to see you have arrived at a sensible conclusion, Lorlen. I rely on you to keep Rothen under control and both of you, stay away from Sonea."

After the High Lord had closed the door behind him, Lorlen pondered what he had learned about Akkarin's attitude to the Guild. _I wonder what he means by change?_

_._


	11. The Death of the Northern Fort

**Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan**

The Death of the Northern Fort

When the first images were transmitted from the Northern Fort, no one could believe what they showed, none that is except for the High Lord and his wife, who understood very clearly that the Ichani had showed their hand at last.

All over the Guild, magicians stopped what they were doing and stood still, the disbelief strong on their faces as images of the death and destruction of the Fort's defenders were broadcast. As the terrible images continued, men and woman brushed tears from their eyes or simply stood with heads bowed as the shocking story unfolded.

Lorlen was in the middle of a meeting with two disgruntled magicians when the first images arrived. He hurriedly dismissed the men as Akkarin's mental voice boomed in his head, _Lorlen call an immediate meeting of the Guild Council at the Residence. _

By the time he arrived at the Residence, the others were already there, apart from Lord Balkan who was out on a training exercise. Lorlen went in to Akkarin's large meeting room, where Takan was handing out refreshments to the Council members who were standing around, white faced and tense in small groups, earnestly discussing what had happened.

Akkarin was sitting in his chair at the head of the table gazing distractedly at nothing, obviously listening to mental communication. Lorlen went to his usual position at the High Lord's right hand and sat down and waited until the High Lord noticed his presence.

"Do you know what's going on, Akkarin?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, I do. I intend to inform the Council members exactly what is going on, Administrator." Akkarin's voice was grim. "Some of them may be very surprised and distressed and I rely on you to work with me in this."

Lorlen looked at the High Lord in surprise. _Why did he say that?_ he wondered. What _exactly is he going to say…._

Akkarin looked round and knocked on the table. The others took their seats and the room fell silent as the High Lord began to speak.

"We have all been shocked by what has happened at the Northern Fort. It was an unexpected event, made all the more shocking by witnessing the deaths of people well known to us, people who we expected to be able to fight back against an enemy trying to take the Fort. Yet we saw in disbelief twenty of our Warriors killed in less than an hour. Unfortunately, these invaders are no ordinary people seeking to raid a foreign country to loot and destroy. These invaders are Ichani, powerful Sachakan magicians, whose magical strength is many times greater than our own."

Akkarin paused as there was an outbreak of murmurings in reaction to his news. He sipped some tea and waited until the noise died down.

"Some of you will have heard of the Ichani, but for those who haven't, they are magicians who have fallen foul of the Sachakan King in one way or another and have been exiled and abandoned. They live in small groups in the remote areas near to Sachaka's borders. Living so far away from the centres of population means they are effectively lawless and their power and influence depends solely on the strength of their particular group's leader."

"How do you know so much about them, High Lord?" someone asked.

Akkarin smiled humourlessly, "I have made a close study of them and the way they live. Indeed, when I was much younger, I lived amongst them for a time."

Lorlen turned towards him in surprise, "I didn't know that," he blurted out and heard almost immediately Akkarin's mental response, _There are many things about me you don't know, old friend._

There was a commotion at the door as Balkan finally arrived and Akkarin waited until he was seated and had been updated on what had been said so far, before continuing.

"The Ichani, as I said, are powerful magicians. You have seen in the images from the Fort just how powerful they are. Some of our best Warriors were unable to stand against them and I expect you are wondering why we had no effective response to their attack. The reason is quite simple. The Ichani are powerful because they are black magicians."

The noise in the room rose again and Lorlen opened his mouth to speak, but Akkarin's mind voice rang in his head, _Do not say anything yet about black magic! Wait until I have finished. ._

Lorlen was torn. This was his chance to lay before the Council everything he knew about Akkarin and black magic; the chance he had been longing for, ever since he'd read Sonea's mind, but something held him back and he remained silent.

Akkarin banged the table and the magicians fell silent. He continued, "All Sachakan magicians practise what we call black magic and they call "higher magic". They regard magicians like us, who have foresworn the use of this form of magic, as weak and feeble. While the Sachakan King firmly controls his own magicians, by exiling the Ichani, he has lost all control over them. They exist in the wasteland, fighting each other to establish a hierarchy of groups, with the most powerful leading the others. For many years, this internal fighting has meant the Ichani have been fractured and weak, but one or two leaders have emerged recently with one aim in mind. They want to defeat the Guild and take control of Kyralia and thus avenge what they regard as the wrong done Sachaka in the war. They have been trying to form alliances between groups in order to create a bigger fighting force."

"You are remarkably well informed, High Lord," Balkan stared at Akkarin intently, "How have you managed to obtain this information?"

Akkarin smiled, "I have my sources. I have also spent time researching the Ichani. After I returned to Imardin, I developed an interest in the history of the Guild and its proscription of the use the black magic. As you all know, for the first years of its existence, the Guild too saw no harm in using this higher magic. It was only after a series of incidents, culminating in the devastating actions of an apprentice hundreds of years ago that the Guild banned its use. This puts us at a considerable disadvantage in trying to stop the Ichani."

Balkan nodded, "After seeing the images from the Fort, I can understand your concern. However, we can't escape the fact that we don't have this magic and therefore we need to concentrate on how we can defend against them."

"What do you think they will do now they have crossed the border?" a voice from the end of the table asked.

Akkarin ignored the question and turned to the Head of the Warriors, "Can you give us your thoughts on what happened at the Northern Fort, Balkan?"

Balkan gave a brisk summary of the position. "We had twenty Warriors defending the Fort, of those, at least five had only recently graduated and four had been sent there as a punishment. So only just over half the defenders were what I might call our best Warriors. Even so, I wouldn't have expected the Fort to be taken so easily. The strength of the Ichani meant that our defences, both magical and physical, were overcome easily. I can't see how we can hope to stop them if they reach Imardin."

Again a buzz arose as the magicians digested Balkan's words and there was no disguising the fearful expressions on a number of faces. Akkarin let them talk quietly for a few moments then said, "We must try to stop them before they reach Imardin."

"How can we do that?" Balkan sounded unconvinced. "We don't know where they are now. They could be anywhere."

"I believe they will head for Imardin. Their goal is to defeat the Guild first, by killing all magicians they can find. Once the Guild is gone, the whole of Kyralia will be at their mercy. We can't wait for them to get here. We must act and act quickly." Akkarin stared at each member of the Guild Council, "I propose that a group of carefully selected Warriors be sent to intercept the Ichani and attempt to wipe them out or at least kill enough of them to weaken any attack on Imardin."

Lorlen wondered just how much Akkarin was going to tell the Council, _Will you speak of your own use of black magic?_ he asked. The High Lord's presence in his mind showed a trace of amusement as he replied, _No, I think I need to get them to understand the nature of the threat and what we can do first. I would ask you to remain silent on this matter._

Again, Lorlen wondered at his own compliance with the High Lord's instructions. Surely this was his chance to get out of the nightmare he had been living with all this time, yet he could not bring himself to speak, it was almost as if there was a padlock on that part of his brain which controlled speech. _Am I under a spell?_ He felt the beginnings of panic, _Has Akkarin found a way, unknown to me, of controlling my actions completely?_ He had no answer to that, but afterwards he wondered if his inability to speak was to do with the still strong influence of his old friendship with Akkarin and the fact that, deep down, he still couldn't truly believe the High Lord was evil.

He suddenly realised that Akkarin had been speaking and began to listen,"…Warrior skills and techniques which are different to our usual methods. Balkan, what are your thoughts on the work Yikmo has been doing?"

Balkan looked up from the paper where he been scribbling furiously, "Yikmo and Sonea had been working with some of our youngest and most enthusiastic Warriors. You may have seen their practice sessions, they seem to be a popular attraction." Balkan smiled, "I haven't seen such interest in Warrior training since I was a novice!" There were nods from some around the table. "These techniques have been designed to help our Warriors fight against enemies with strong magic," Balkan paused and stared at the High Lord, "It has turned out to be very useful for you to suggest such training at this time."

Akkarin stared back expressionlessly, "As I said before, I have been studying the Ichani for some years and felt it was only a matter of time before we might find ourselves having to face them."

Balkan held the High Lord's gaze for a few moments longer, then nodded, "Yes, it is fortunate, High Lord, that you have pursued your private interests and now find they are of use to the Guild as a whole. May I suggest that we ask Yikmo to tell us exactly what progress he and Sonea have made?"

It took only a few minutes for Yikmo to arrive, bringing Sonea with him. The two Warriors were found seats and joined the others round the table. Yikmo said a few words about the special training, so that those who had not seen the practice might have a better understanding of what was being considered.

"We have been concentrating on the illusion strategy which the High Lord developed," Sonea added. "It allows us to force our opposition to expend some of their power to no result by mimicking almost exactly the actions of an attacking Warrior."

"But surely this requires enormous power," one of the older members said. "How do you manage that?"

"By organising the Warriors to work in pairs, one maintaining the illusion and striking, the other maintaining the shield and feeding him power. As the second Warrior's power levels drop, he or she is replaced by another, all the time feeding power to the first one. It sounds very complicated and difficult, but with practice, and we have put in a lot of practice, it is feasible. We hope that by this technique, we can maintain the output of the first Warrior." Sonea looked round the table. "It does mean that we need a large number of what might be called "support" magicians to keep the Warrior supplied with power."

"We have been using only Warriors up to now," Yikmo added, "But there's nothing to stop us using magicians from other Disciplines. All we need are magicians to feed power, leaving the fighting to our special group."

There was silence for a moment, then Balkan spoke, "There are twenty specially trained Warriors. You would need dozens of other magicians to supply sufficient power for an engagement. It would be impossible to maintain that level of energy usage for long periods."

The High Lord nodded, "That is true, Balkan. The strategy relies on the element of surprise, to a large extent. The Ichani do not expect us to be strong in power, as they know we do not use higher magic. Each one of them can be as powerful as twenty of our magicians put together. A black magician has the ability to take power from his slaves and store it. Once an engagement starts, they can add to their power by draining any magician they capture. If we can successfully fool them into using up that power against illusions, that will help to even out the situation a little. There is one other advantage that we have the Ichani do not. We are used to working together to form shields for example. The Ichani do not have the ability to coordinate their magic, all of them act as individuals."

There was a rush of questions from around the table which Akkarin allowed to continue, leaving Yikmo, Sonea and Balkan to answer them. After a time, there was a lull in the discussion and the High Lord took the opportunity to remind the Council of his proposal.

It didn't take long for the Council to agree to the idea of sending the special Warrior group to intercept the Ichani and wreak as much damage as possible. The Heads of the Disciplines also agreed to select a number of their strongest magicians to act as power sources for the Warriors. The only element of disagreement came when Akkarin declared that he, too, would be part of the Warrior group.

"But High Lord," said Balkan, "That is very risky. What will happen to the Guild, if its leader is injured or even killed? You must remain here to control the Guild."

Akkarin frowned, "Lord Balkan, I am a strong magician and Warrior, my place is where I can do the most good. That place is with the group Yikmo and Sonea and I have been training. If this is done right, then Imardin will be safe. My mind is made up and I am coming with you."

Lorlen found himself saying, "I, too, will come. Although I am not a Warrior, I am a Healer and I have power which I can feed to others." Lorlen could feel Akkarin's eyes on him, but took care not to look at him. _Make of that what you like High Lord!_ he sent defiantly. The only response was an echo of laughter on the edge of his mind.


	12. A Last Night Together

**Disclaimer I do not own BMT world, it belongs to Trudi Canavan**

**A Last Night Together**

As the last of the Council members closed the door behind them, Akkarin squeezed his eyes shut in relief_. No one really questioned my knowledge of the Ichani, apart from Balkan, and he questions everything. _One of the things preying on his mind all meeting had been the risk of exposure as a black magician himself. _Lorlen kept quiet too_. The blood gem link had provided Akkarin with strong impressions of the inner turmoil Lorlen experienced at times, yet in the end, he had said nothing. _I wonder why? That was the biggest risk of all - that Lorlen would speak!_

There was a gust of air as Sonea rushed back in. "That went well, all things considered," she said cheerily. "I wasn't entirely convinced, when you told me what you were going to do, but in the end, even Lorlen seemed to go along with what you said. It's probably what's happened at the Fort which changed his mind. He must know that you had nothing to do with that."

She went over to the side table and poured two glasses of wine. She took the chair next to Akkarin and pressed the glass into his hand. "Don't look so worried! You succeeded! They will do what you want and we can use the Warriors to help us defeat the Ichani and perhaps this time they will understand our message and stay away from Kyralia."

"You make it sound very simple, Sonea," he said seriously. "It's not, you know. The minute we start fighting with the Ichani, someone is going to notice that we are not quite like other Guild magicians. For a start, our reserves of power will be so much greater and we will not need replenishment like the others. The longer the battle goes on, the more likely someone will notice. And, of course, cutting the Ichani and taking their power will be a bit of a clue for the observant!"

She laughed, a carefree light laugh, "You worry too much Akkarin. We can always take a little power from the others, just to keep up appearances. Besides, the battle will be intense, there will be the illusions and more than twenty Warriors sending forcestrikes, sunstrikes, firestrikes all sorts of strikes in all sorts of directions. It will take a very clear head and keen eyesight to see what we two do in all that. Besides, we will all be dressed the same, no distinctive black robes for you, and that will add to the confusion for any onlookers!"

Sonea put down her glass and took his hand between hers. "We have been working for this for months. Our power reserves are very, very strong. My Warriors are well trained and have practised so much, they can do it in their sleep. We will not be alone for the battle this time. You'll see, it will all work out the way we planned." She raised his hand and laid it against her cheek. "Everything we have wanted to do, despite the dangers and risks, we have done. Your secret is still safe, even Lorlen has not denounced you. But more than all of this, we are together. Sometimes I think we have been placed under the protection of the Eye itself."

Sonea was looking at him with such a happy, hopeful expression that he was reluctant to spoil her mood. She was right, things had worked out surprisingly well so far and that was more than he'd hoped a few months ago. _And yet….and yet_, Akkarin found it difficult to cast off the feelings of doom which seemed to be his constant companions. _But I must try, for her sake_.

He stood up and pulled her into his arms; he smiled down at her and brushed a stray lock from her face, "The protection of the Eye, eh? If we have that, then nothing can harm us. Perhaps there is magic at work here and we just haven't noticed!" He pressed his mouth to hers and felt her lips open under his. They lost themselves in the comfort of being together and Akkarin felt his spirits lift. _She has brought me good luck_, he thought. _Perhaps she is right, and something somewhere has us under its protection._

Later, whilst they were savouring yet another Takan catering triumph, they talked about the battle ahead. Balkan had poured over the map and identified a suitable place where they would stand a good chance of stopping the invaders. There was a steep sided valley through which ran the main route to the capital from the North Pass. There were several scattered villages in the valley and Balkan suggested that one of these might be a good place for the ambush. He, himself, would not be going with them, but would stay at the Guild to organise the defence of Imardin, should they fail.

The news from the other Disciplines was good, there was no shortage of volunteers to provide power for the Warriors and the strongest had been chosen to accompany them. There would also be some of the older novices to act as messengers as to prevent any hint of what they hoped to do leaking out, Akkarin had forbidden all mental communication. "The Ichani can hear us," he'd said, but the move had been unpopular. To all magicians, mind-to-mind communication was as natural as breathing and they had become so used to it, that its banning had seemed an outrage. However, all had complied, so far.

As they finished the last mouthfuls of the tempting dessert, Sonea leaned back in her chair and fixed her husband with a sharp gaze. "I hope you're not going to linger in the study this evening."

Akkarin kept his face expressionless, "But I still have several pages of that old book to look through," he said. "I've just got time to finish it and you never know, it might provide the exact piece of information we need."

Sonea said nothing but continued to gaze at the High Lord steadily for a few moments before saying, "Well, I think you should rest your brain this evening, you will need a good clear head tomorrow."

Akkarin smiled, "Perhaps you are right. Well, as we are leaving before first light tomorrow, we should take the opportunity of getting as much rest as possible."

She rose, "In that case, I shall go to my room. Perhaps you will look in to say goodnight before you sleep, High Lord."

He allowed enough time for Sonea to complete her preparations before tapping at her door, dressed only in silk sleeping trousers. When it silently opened, he slipped inside. She was sitting up against the mound of pillows with her hair tumbling about her shoulders. He could see the glow of her skin where it met the pale cream silk of her sleeping gown, the small ruby and diamond jewel he had given her sparkling against her throat. It was a pretty picture and he could feel his heart quicken.

She smiled prettily and held out her hand. "I see you have only half changed into your sleeping garments, husband." She stared at him for a moment, taking in the broad shoulders, well muscled torso and narrow waist, "There's no doubt that your recent Warrior training has improved your figure."

It only took three strides to cross the space from door to bed. He slid in beside her as she melted into his embrace, her hands running over his chest before sliding round his back and pulling him closer to her. Her kisses were hot and deep and he was reminded of their first nights together, when they had found it difficult to control the hot waves of passion which swept through them both.

A cool, dispassionate part of his brain took in her face, a pale oval, with dark bottomless eyes and a hint of colour in her cheeks and he wondered how he'd ever thought of her as a sulky child. She was beautiful, with a hidden fire, which easily melted his cool reserve and released his own fiery passion.

He kissed her eyes and the line of her jaw before moving down to her throat. He let his lips linger, feeling the leap of her pulse as her body arched beneath him. _I need you so much,_ she sent. _It will be hard to be separate from you in the days to come, not to be able to touch you or feel your arms around me._

_It will be hard for me too, _he replied. _But at least, we will be together_.

Conscious thought stopped for them both as they gave themselves up to the needs of their bodies and the joys of lovemaking. Afterwards, they lay wrapped around each other, while their breathing returned to normal and their heartbeats slowed.

"Stay with me until it is time to get ready," she said after a while. "I don't want to be alone tonight."

He kissed her forehead and settled her more comfortably in his arms, "Try to sleep, I won't leave you."

"I love you very much, Akkarin," she said sleepily.

"And I love you, Sonea," he said softly.


	13. Battle Preparations

**Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan**

Battle Preparations

Lorlen steered his horse away from the half-concealed tree stump and concentrated on keeping up with the others. It was many years since he had ridden so fast and in company with close on a hundred people. It was not yet light, which made the going much more difficult. At the beginning, he had been extremely wary of every shadow and shape ahead, but now, an hour or so later, he had given up worrying and simply went along with the group. _If I fall, I fall_, he thought in quiet resignation.

Rothen was close on his heels. Akkarin had insisted that the Alchemist should join the group.

"I do not want Rothen left in the Guild with plenty of time to create trouble for me," the High Lord had said, ignoring Lorlen's protests. "Once you decided to come, Administrator, it left me no choice with regard to Rothen."

_I should have realised that_, he thought. _Still Rothen doesn't seem too upset at having to join us. He feels he can now keep an eye on his precious Sonea_.

The group had assembled not far from the Residence and close by the stables two hours before sunrise. It was still dark and cold, so people were trying to stay warm as they waited for their mounts. Yikmo had insisted that everyone dress in the same type of clothes, so all magicians, regardless of whether they were graduates or novices, Warriors, Healers or Alchemists, wore the same dark red trousers and shirts with cloaks of heavier, but the same coloured material. It felt strange to Lorlen to give up his dark blue Administrator's robes after all these years, but he could see the logic behind the decision.

The common uniform made it difficult to recognise some people and it took a while for Lorlen to pick out Akkarin and in the end he only found him because he was standing with Sonea and Yikmo. They were deep in conversation, ignoring the organised chaos happening around them. Lorlen moved in their direction, as he was curious to hear what was absorbing them so completely. He could see that all three had an air of suppressed excitement, _I suppose that Warriors enjoy battle,_ he thought. _I can't say that I feel the same. After all, it's us Healers who have to deal with the aftermath_.

"Ah, Administrator, there you are," Akkarin's voice came out of the darkness. "A word with you please."

They moved away from the rest of the milling magicians. Akkarin looked quickly around to ensure they were alone, then said, "I am glad you decided to come along, Lorlen, whatever your reasons. Have you decided you can trust me?"

Lorlen sighed, "For years, I would have trusted you with my life, but now I no longer know who you are or what you want. For all I know, you may be planning to join the Ichani and have set in motion a plan to lure our bravest Warriors into a trap."

"Do you really think that, old friend?" It seemed to Lorlen that Akkarin's voice had a faint trace of sadness.

"I don't want to believe it Akkarin, but you haven't made it easy for me to trust you again."

Akkarin laughed softly and without humour, "Well, after the battle, perhaps you will know one way or another. Come, it's time to go."

Hanging on to the reins of his galloping mount, Lorlen went back over that conversation. _It was a strange thing to do_, he thought_, To ask if I trusted him after what I saw in Sonea's mind and all that's happened since, forcing that girl to live in his house and then marrying her. If I live to be one hundred, I shall never understand._

They stopped for a break just as light was streaking across the sky. Some food and drink was handed round and the horses were attended to. Although it was still chilly, the sight of the sunrise cheered people. There was a lively buzz of conversation as people munched their breakfast.

Lorlen sat with Rothen who was annoyed because he hadn't been able to speak to Sonea.

"I don't know where she is," he grumbled to Lorlen, "Somewhere in the middle of that group of Warriors she's involved with, I expect. I can't get anywhere near them. I was hoping there might be an opportunity for her to get away."

Lorlen's mouth dropped open at hearing Rothen's words. "Sonea is a Warrior, you couldn't get her to agree to leave her comrades to fight a battle and slope off with you, Rothen."

Rothen grinned at him, "I know! You'll have to forgive an old Alchemist's mumblings. It's just what I wish with all my heart would happen, but I know it won't."

The order to mount up came soon after and it wasn't long before Lorlen was deeply regretting his lack of horse riding practice. They had been told not to waste any of their power on self-Healing, so he knew he was probably not alone in feeling that his muscles were screaming for relief. It seemed so much worse after the break they'd had. He gritted his teeth and tried to think about something else.

As the sky lightened, they began to see people moving about the villages and in the fields they passed. Some stopped to see who was hurtling by at such a speed, but most just ignored them. The permission for them to be outside the Guild without their robes meant people would not recognise them as magicians and thus if any were captured by the Ichani, they would not be able to give them away.

Yikmo had sent out scouts on the swiftest horses and there was constant comings and goings as the scouts reported then set out again in another direction. It was important to locate the Ichani and confirm the direction they were travelling.

They travelled for another hour or so, before Yikmo called a halt. They had left the riverbank and were now in undulating countryside. Yikmo had chosen a position which hid them from sight from most directions. People sat wearily on the ground as their horses nibbled at the stubby grasses.

Lorlen went over to join Yikmo who was looking at a map. Sonea and Akkarin were looking over his shoulder as he pointed to various places.

"We're not far from the entrance to the valley," he was saying as Lorlen arrived. "The scouts report a group of people travelling at moderate speed from the direction of the North Pass and although it's not been confirmed, I would bet money that these are the Ichani. The scouts say that there are a number of carts, as well as riders."

Akkarin nodded, "Yes, the Ichani travel with their slaves to provide a constant source of power. The carts probably contain the slaves, whilst the magicians ride. They also may have tracking animals in the carts as well. I've said it before, but it is most important that the slaves are killed. They may look like poor innocents, and in a sense they are, but they are important to the Ichani. Kill the slaves and we reduce their ability to take in more power easily."

"I hope to arrive at this village," Yikmo pointed to a spot on the map, "Before the invaders so that we can get into position."

"And the villagers?" Sonea asked, "What about them?"

"I have arranged for people to go around to every house and get the villagers out. I've chosen Healers for this as, hopefully, we won't need them for a while." Yikmo looked back at the map. "If the Ichani continue to move at a constant speed, we should have at least a hour before they are in range of the village. That's enough time to get everyone in position."

All too soon, the break was over and everyone climbed back into the saddle. There would be no more stops until they reached the village, the risk of arriving too late to prepare properly for the ambush was too great. Lorlen mentally rehearsed his instructions, _Link up with my partner, a Warrior named Daken, and stay within touching distance until he requires more power. Pass him power, then step aside to let the next power supplier take over and go to join the Healers.. _It all sounded so simple and Lorlen admired the straightforward way Yikmo had organised and then briefed the newcomers. _It must be difficult to practise with a constant band of people for weeks then to suddenly have a lot of newcomers join in._

Luckily, the newcomers simply had to stick to their partners and let the Warriors decide on the difficult things like who to target for attack. Lorlen's main regret was that he had no idea where Akkarin or Sonea would be in the actual battle itself, so his original plan to monitor what they were doing had had to be shelved.

When they came to the village, it was already partially deserted. Yikmo's chosen Healers had gone on ahead and the evacuation of residents was well underway. It was a smallish settlement, with only about a dozen houses and a few other outbuildings. It was nestled close to the side of the valley, surrounded by trees and scrubland.

Yikmo, Sonea and Akkarin distributed their Warriors carefully so that the road into and out of the village was covered. Most were assigned particular buildings to occupy, but a few were concealed outside. The village meeting room was chosen as the Healers' base and any injured magicians would be quickly taken there. The horses were taken away into the wooded area and hidden, with only a couple of novices to keep an eye on them.

Lorlen found himself in a tiny upstairs room in a cottage in the middle of the village. Daken quickly examined the room and the windows, checking the angle of view. There were four other magicians crammed into the room with Lorlen and the Warrior. When the last of them had given Daken power, he would be on his own.

Lorlen glanced out of the window and could see Yikmo, Akkarin and Sonea going from house to house checking that everything was in place. It was Sonea who came to his cottage. She stood in the doorway and looked over at Daken.

"Everything all right, Daken?" she asked. "I've left one of the novices downstairs, if you need to send a message. Yikmo will be in the first cottage, Akkarin will be in the last cottage and I shall be somewhere in the middle, so your messenger should be able to find one of us."

"Take care, Sonea," Lorlen said and was rewarded with a quick grin and she was gone.

Now, all they had to do was wait.


	14. Into the Storm

**Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan**

**Into the Storm**

For Lorlen, crammed into a small space next to Daken, the waiting seemed to go on and on. He could just see out of the window if he peered under Daken's arm, but there was nothing moving in the street below. _Perhaps that's a mistake_, he thought. _The Ichani expect this to be a village with people, but it's deserted. _He remembered Akkarin explaining the blood gem link could not be overheard by others, so he sent out a call.

_Akkarin? The village is deserted but there should be people._

_Don't worry, Lorlen, it is in hand. _

Akkarin sounded distracted, which did not surprise Lorlen very much. He could imagine all the activity swirling around the three leaders of the expedition. Not long afterwards, some people began to emerge from the houses. He recognised one or two and could see that they'd taken clothing from the residents' cupboards and chests. They didn't do anything in particular, but simply moved about the street, in and out of houses, holding short conversations and generally acting like locals.

_Well that was a little bit of excitement,_ Lorlen thought.

Akkarin was amused, _There will be excitement enough shortly._

He remained in his space and nibbled on a pack of food, which had been delivered by a breathless novice. It was nutritious, but rather tasteless and he found himself longing for one of the hot meat pies served in the Guild's eating hall, feeling the saliva run down his throat as memory showed him the succulent meat and gravy and he could almost smell the delicious aroma. He became conscious of a faint noise carried on the breeze and recognised it as the sound of horses clopping along the road. Suddenly his mouth was dry as he realised what this meant.

He peered out of the window again and saw a jumble of shapes at the farthest end of the street. As they came nearer, he could make out horses and riders surrounding one or two carts filled with people. He remembered Yikmo's careful instructions.

"Let the Ichani get into the village before striking. We don't want them to turn and run."

As the Ichani moved down the street, Lorlen could see curious "locals" turning to look at them. He noticed that several of them had formed a tight group behind the invaders, to prevent them escaping back the way they came.

_Now! _

The mental voice was Yikmo's and almost immediately strikes were directed at the carts, one of which received a direct hit, pieces flying through the air. The air erupted with the brilliance of the strikes directed against the Ichani, whose shields glimmered and sparked when strikes found their target.

Already Lorlen could see bodies lying in the street where some of the magicians masquerading as locals had been hit. He saw one of the black magicians leap from his horse and approach each body, knife in hand. Lorlen closed his eyes in horror as he realised what was to come. When he looked again, the Ichani had scattered, leaving their horses to fend for themselves. The remaining cart made a dash for cover, but was attacked by strikes from several directions until it, too, burst apart, its passengers falling to the ground and lying still.

"Power!" Dakan said forcefully and Lorlen grabbed his arm and began sending. Dakan was directing illusions in the street below, sending them against a group of three Ichani, making them separate and driving them apart. Strikes from one of the other houses began to concentrate on one of the Ichani, driving him backwards, away from the others.

Lorlen sent the last of his reserve of power into Dakan and moved away to allow the next power source to take his place. He felt a little dizzy as he had perhaps sent a little too much, _But if the Warriors fail_, he thought, _The Eye help us all! _His task now was to join the Healers in the village meetinghouse, but he wanted to stay to see how the battle progressed. _They won't miss me_, _there are plenty of Healers_, he told himself, _Anyway,_ i_t's years since I practised and I'd probably do more harm than good._

He came downstairs and looked out into the street. All was confusion with what seemed hundreds of strikes flying down into the Ichani and up into the houses. With a terrible groan, followed by a roar of falling masonry, one of the houses collapsed into the street.

A red clothed figure fell with it and before the magician could escape, one of the Ichani was on him and Lorlen saw the movement of the knife and spurt of blood, as the black magician put his hand over the wound.

It was the last thing he did, as two Warriors coordinated their strikes, cutting through his shield and blasting him where he knelt. Many of the Warriors were coming out into the street, but Lorlen could not tell which were real and which were illusions, and, thankfully, neither could the Ichani who were forced, just as Akkarin had said, into to directing their strikes in all directions and at all figures.

As he watched, Lorlen began to believe that they could win. It was true, just as the High Lord had said, the Ichani could not work together or coordinate their attacks, so the illusions performed well by driving them, one by one, into the range of magicians who were then able to attack their shields.

_Akkarin! Akkarin! Show yourself!_

The mental voice was loud and the suddenness of its arrival was shocking. Lorlen saw a faltering in one or two of the Warriors in the street, with devastating results for them as the Ichani took advantage.

_Akkarin! Akkarin! I know you are here. Stop hiding behind these children and show yourself!_

Another building crumbled under the force of the strikes, but this time, no red-clad figures were taken. The street was filling with Warriors and it was difficult for the watching Administrator to see exactly what was happening. Although he knew that Yikmo had a definite strategy and that the Warriors and their helpers knew exactly what to do, to an outsider it was difficult to see any pattern. In fact, it was difficult to even see clearly. The air shuddered and glowed, pierced by lightening flashes of light and energy, the noise of the strikes was deafening and more and more destruction of buildings added to the clamour.

As the building began to crumble, Lorlen ran out the back and into another house. Here he found Yikmo and Sonea briefing a group of Warriors.

"We are getting to the end of our power sources," she said. "We must make one huge effort to take out as many Ichani as possible."

The young Warriors, eyes alight with the joy of battle, received their instructions and melted away to join the battle in the street. Lorlen looked at Sonea and saw the same light in her eyes and felt a pang of sadness. _If she hadn't become Akkarin's Novice, she would never have become a Warrior. She would be a nice safe Healer somewhere…._

When he looked up she was gone and Yikmo with her.

_Akkarin! I am coming for you! Prepare for death!_

The loud, hectoring voice boomed out again, but, like the previous times, there was no reply from the High Lord.

_Where is he?_ thought Lorlen_. Is he still here? Has he slipped away to join them and this voice is simply trying to mislead us?_

Lorlen hurried to the meetinghouse to see if he was needed after all. Lady Vinara, the Healers' Head of Discipline, was in charge and like everything she did, the room was well ordered with a clear system in place to receive injured magicians and to treat them. She was busy, so there was only time for a brief word.

"Nine dead, three badly injured and a few others with light wounds," she said efficiently in response to his question. "I don't need you for the moment, if you have other things to do, Administrator."

Lorlen began to feel like an unwanted package. His power was depleted, so he could do no more for the Warriors. Vinara had the Healers' clinic under control and there was no place for him there. _What should I do? _He remembered his self-imposed task to keep an eye on Sonea and Akkarin and set off to find them. On the way, he found Rothen, weak from giving his power, sitting in a corner. Although he acknowledged Lorlen, Rothen was clearly exhausted, so the Administrator left him there and carried on.

Although it seemed they had been fighting for hours, Lorlen judged that barely an hour had passed since the Ichani had entered the village. He was not clear exactly how many black magicians had been in the group, but their numbers had been considerably reduced as Yikmo's plan worked its way through. Lorlen thought there were barely a handful left, although it was very difficult to be sure.

_Akkarin! Akkarin!_

The mental voice rang out again. Now Lorlen could see a small group of three Ichani standing some way away in the middle of the street, one slightly in front of the others and he was sure this was the speaker. The group began to walk very slowly up the street and at a gesture from the leader, another black magician appeared, dragging a Warrior with him. The Warrior was badly injured and couldn't walk properly, his head hanging down, so Lorlen couldn't see who it was.

_Akkarin! I have one of your little pets here! I can smell his power and my knife longs to taste his blood._

The leader went over to the Warrior, grabbed his hair and pulled his head up. _Yikmo! _Lorlen thought in shock. Yikmo's eyes were closed and there was blood seeping from his head and from a large wound in his leg.

Then at the opposite end of the street, two Warriors emerged from a building, with several others behind them and began to walk towards the Ichani.

_You have always been too hasty, Kariko_. Akkarin's mental voice was loud and confident. _You are outnumbered and outclassed. The Guild is not the weak and feeble thing you think. It is strong and will defeat you!_

Kariko laughed, We_ shall see, little Akkarin. My knife is keen to cut you and the rest of your pets._

After than, there was no more conversation. Strikes filled the air again and Lorlen lost sight of Yikmo and his captor in the enormous burst of light and energy. Akkarin led his group towards the Ichani, Sonea at his side and the two sent a steady stream of strikes. The Warriors behind them sent deadly curving strikes, which hammered at Kariko's two companions. More Warriors appeared behind the Ichani and within a few moments, one of the Ichani lay motionless on the ground. Kariko ignored the loss and continued to move towards Akkarin.

Suddenly, the rhythm of the attack changed. Now Kariko was sending strikes which were not bright and white, but sullen and purplish and where they hit the ground, purple fire flowered. Lorlen had not seen anything like them in all his years as a magician. There was a sharp intake of breath from beside him and he turned to see that Rothen had caught up with him.

The Alchemist's face was ashen, "Balefire!" he said, "Outlawed by the Guild over five hundred years ago. We have no defence against it!"

Akkarin and Sonea did not falter, but kept moving steadily forward, sending strike after strike aimed at Kariko. The Warriors behind them began to fall back, as their shields weakened and one or two were struck. The other group of Warriors managed to hit the Ichani next to Kariko, so now it was one, with balefire, against two without.

Lorlen could not take his eyes off his friend and his wife who continued to close in on Kariko with no hint of fear or hesitation. Akkarin's shield began to show signs of weakening and Sonea moved closer to him to add her shield to his, but Akkarin gestured to her and she moved away. The purple light began pounding Akkarin without pause and the watching Guild magicians could see it was beginning to take effect. His own strikes were reducing in power as he fought to maintain the integrity of his shield.

_Ah, I have you now little Akkarin! _The voice boomed again, full of confidence. _Your little Apprentice will make a lovely pleasure slave for me and the rest of my group._

There was no reply from the High Lord as he closed in on Kariko. Lorlen could see him gather himself for a final push. As he did so, Kariko sent a huge burst of purple energy directly at him, which rocked Akkarin and disrupted his shield. As Kariko concentrated to send the final killing burst of energy at the High Lord, Sonea moved quickly, putting herself in between them and absorbed the blow meant for her husband. Her shield vanished and she crumpled to the floor.

As Kariko, momentarily distracted by her intervention, looked down, Akkarin struck. He pierced Kariko's shield and sent a final surge of energy directly on to his unprotected body. Kariko fell immediately and Akkarin was on him, knife in hand, drawing it swiftly across his throat, and taking his power.

Suddenly there was silence. In that silence, Akkarin bent down and gently gathered the body of his wife into his arms. He straightened up and turned to walk back to the Guild magicians who were coming out of the buildings. As he came nearer, Lorlen saw his face. It was completely white and full of anguish.

_He loves her! _Lorlen was astonished. _Akkarin loves Sonea!_

"Healers, we need Healers!" a voice at his side shouted as Rothen surged into life.

Vinara and some of her team came running up to Akkarin but he refused to let them take Sonea, choosing instead to carry her himself into the village meeting house.

Lorlen watched them disappear inside. _What will he do if she is dead?_


	15. Sonea

**Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan**

**Sonea**

She was so light in his arms, he could hardly believe he was carrying a fully-grown woman. He looked down at her face. It was pale and still, her eyes closed and her expression peaceful. _She can't be dead! _He sent his mind into hers and sensed her dwindling power and life force, both were faint, but there nevertheless. His heart lurched within him. _There's still time! _

There were no marks or injuries on her body that he could see; the balefire had not burned her. He couldn't bear to think of what might have been if her shield had not held up for as long as it had. _I had no idea Kariko would use balefire_, he thought miserably. _You stupid arrogant fool, taking her with you into so much danger! If she dies, it will be your fault!_

Akkarin could hear shouts around him, but they seemed to be coming from a huge distance. He was vaguely aware of hands trying to take her from him, but he resisted. No one should carry his wife, but himself. He found himself in a large room where the Healers were working on the injured.

"Give her to me, High Lord." Vinara commanded firmly. "I have a place where she can be treated, away from all this noise and confusion.

"Show me the place, I will take her," he replied, reluctant to let go of her.

Vinara led him into a side room, which had been hastily cleared and a makeshift bed made up, covered with clean linen and blankets. He laid her down gently and knelt beside the bed, still holding her hand. He refused all of Vinara's requests to leave, so in the end, she worked round him.

They stripped Sonea and examined her for marks or injuries, but there were none. She was carefully wrapped in clean clothes and Vinara, along with two of her assistants, carried out an internal examination, sending their minds inwards to check every part of Sonea for signs of damage.

All of this took some time, and through it all, Akkarin knelt on the hard wooden floor and clasped her hand in his. He thought of all the time they had spent together, from the first, fraught meetings, through the tension of their early days, to the point where love grew between them. He remembered her desire to join with him to defeat the Ichani and her willingness to take on the burden of black magic. He remembered the laughter she had brought to the Residence and the way she had changed his life.

_I can't lose her_, he thought wretchedly. _I couldn't go back to living the cold, empty life I had before. I don't want to be alone again. _

He began to believe that holding her hand kept her with him and that as long as he didn't let go, she would be all right. His mind brushed hers again and he wondered if she knew he was there. He became aware that the Healers had finished and that Vinara was waiting to speak to him.

"I can find no injury to account for her state, High Lord," she said, keeping her words objective and formal. "Of course, none of us has any experience of the effects of balefire and although she isn't burned, I can't rule out some other damage it might have done."

"Her life force has been diminished," Vinara continued, "But it's stable for the moment. Her power is also considerably reduced, but hopefully that will begin to restore itself in the next few hours. Then, perhaps, she will begin to self-Heal."

Akkarin stared bleakly at the Healer, "Will she recover?"

Vinara wouldn't meet his eyes, as she said, "I honestly don't know, High Lord. I will be happier when we are back in Imardin and I have all the Guild's resources available to me."

They tried to persuade him to go and rest, but he refused. Eventually they brought him a small stool to sit on and some food and water. He wasn't hungry, but knew that he must eat, so he forced it down somehow and swallowed the water, all the time, holding her hand, keeping her with him.

"Akkarin?" Lorlen's voice was warm and soft. "Akkarin, you need to get some rest. I'll sit with her."

He raised his head to look at his old friend and for the first time in months, saw the expression on his face was friendly.

"I prefer to stay here, Lorlen."

He heard Lorlen settle down on the floor beside him and wished he would go away and leave him to watch Sonea. But of course, Lorlen wouldn't! "_Such an upright, earnest_ _young man_," he remembered that description of the Administrator from years ago. Lorlen would want to stay with him, because that's what you did for friends. Unfortunately, Akkarin was not in the mood for conversation.

There was silence for a few minutes, then Lorlen said, "You love her, don't you?"

Akkarin laughed softly, "Of course I love her! That's why I married her!" He looked over at Lorlen and saw the surprise on his face. "Do you think I cannot love a woman? Do you think, because of what you believe about me, that I am incapable of normal emotions and feelings? I told you once, Lorlen, there are many things about me you don't know. Now go away and leave me alone."

He turned back towards the still figure on the bed and after a while, he heard Lorlen get up and leave.

Time passed and he was aware of other people coming in the room, of Healers checking on Sonea's well being, of Warriors hoping for guidance, but he ignored them all. He was empty inside, as if the balefire had scoured him like a kitchen maid scoured a cooking pot, removing everything and leaving nothing behind but a shell. He tried to think about the Guild, about the Ichani, about the future, but he couldn't concentrate. His mind only seemed to want to think about Sonea.

"High Lord?" Vinara spoke softly. "High Lord, you are needed in the village. No one knows what to do. I'll stay with Sonea until you come back."

Akkarin heard her voice but it took a while for the words to register. "Needed? There must be others….." His voice trailed away as the full impact of her words sank in. He was the High Lord, their leader; of course they needed him. He could almost hear Sonea's voice scolding him roundly for giving up on his responsibilities.

Akkarin looked directly at Vinara for the first time in hours, "Where is everyone?"

"There's a small bol house on the village outskirts and everyone seems to have congregated there." She smiled, "I think they have liberated one of the barrels."

Akkarin got to his feet; he was stiff and sore, but still had enough power for a little Healing. "Thank you Vinara. Look after her until I can come back."

He walked down the street, where some of the villagers were already working on the piles of rubble, which had once been their homes. The sun was warm and he could hear birds in the trees_. It's as if the battle never happened_, he thought. _Only a few hours ago, all was noise, light and death. Now the sun is shining and birds are singing._

He found the survivors sitting in the bol house, drinking and talking, but as they noticed him, the chatter died down until they were quiet. Lorlen came up to him and guided him to an empty place.

"A glass of bol for the High Lord," he called and a full glass was pushed into Akkarin's hand.

"How's Sonea?" a young Warrior asked.

"She's about the same," he replied, "Vinara is doing everything she can."

He looked round the group and counted up the missing faces. _So many gone._

"Where's Yikmo?" he asked, but deep down he already knew the answer.

"There's no trace of him, nor the Ichani who was holding him." Lorlen said quietly.

Of the three leaders who had set out from Imardin, only Akkarin was left in any fit state to lead the survivors. He took control of his emotions; the time for allowing himself to wallow in them was gone. _A High Lord must lead_, he remembered from his early lessons at the Guild, _Regardless of his personal circumstances. _He turned to Lorlen.

"Administrator, have you carried out a head count? Are all Guild magicians accounted for? What is the situation regarding the Ichani and their slaves. Report please."

He listened as Lorlen recounted the information gathered since the fighting stopped. Their losses were high, but that had been expected. The loss of Yikmo was particularly terrible and he would be strongly missed, not only as a friendly individual, but also for his leading role with the Warriors. He had been thought of as a future Head of the Discipline and it would take a long time to fill the gap left by his death. There appeared to be no Ichani survivors, magician or slave.

"I have sent messengers back to Imardin with the news, because I wasn't sure whether our mind-communication was secure. What do you advise, High Lord?" Lorlen asked.

"Brief messages, without mention of specifics may be possible now," Akkarin replied.

He looked at the sea of faces around him and could see the need in their eyes for recognition. He smiled at them all, "You have all exceeded any expectations that Yikmo, Sonea and I had of you. I am so proud of you and what you have done today to make the Guild safe. We must return to Imardin without delay, so drink up and collect your things together. We leave within the hour."

He could see the effect of his words on their faces as they swallowed the last of their bol and took their leave. Soon only Akkarin and Lorlen were left. The High Lord knew that Lorlen would have questions and it seemed right to deal with some of them now.

"Well, Lorlen?"

The Administrator's expression showed uncertainty, "I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't know you any more, Akkarin. The events of the last few hours have not helped to make things any clearer. Tell me about Sonea."

Akkarin sighed, "When she came to live in my Residence, things were as difficult at the start as you can imagine. She feared me and distrusted me, would barely speak and tried to keep out of my way as much as possible. Over time, her feelings changed, as did mine for her. We discovered we loved each other and didn't want to be apart so marriage was the obvious answer."

Lorlen frowned, "Then why all those threats, why tell us she was forced into it?"

"Think, Lorlen! What would you have thought if we had said we wanted to marry because we loved each other? What would Rothen have said?"

Lorlen pulled a face, "I see what you mean! What happened out there with the Ichani?"

Akkarin was silent for a moment, unsure of how much to reveal. "Some time ago, Sonea tried to make me promise not to put myself in danger when fighting the Ichani. I told her I couldn't do that. So she made me a promise instead; she promised that she would do everything in her power to keep me alive. Today, she carried out that promise. If she hadn't stepped in front of me, I wouldn't be here. Do you know how that makes me feel?"

Lorlen's voice was sympathetic, "Vinara will Heal her. She is the best Healer the Guild has had in generations."

"I hope you're right, Lorlen. I do hope you're right."

Akkarin stood up, "There's no more time for questions. Send the village headman to see me. The Guild must make good the damage these villagers have suffered. Where there are any Ichani bodies left, they must be burned. If the bodies of any Guild magicians have escaped destruction, they must be taken with us. Nothing must be left here to show what has happened."

Later, riding beside the cart carrying Sonea home, Akkarin wondered how long it would take for the Guild to decide to investigate the happenings of recent days and what he could do to prevent knowledge of Sonea's involvement with black magic from being revealed.


	16. The Journey Home

**Disclaimer – I do not own BMT World – it belongs to Trudi Canavan**

The Journey Home

"But do you honestly believe him Lorlen?" Rothen's expression was a study in disbelief. It had been that way since Lorlen had given him the gist of his conversation with the High Lord.

"You saw the expression on his face when he was carrying her to the Healers. I don't think even Akkarin is such a good actor that he could pretend that convincingly."

Rothen and Lorlen were riding near to the carts transferring the wounded back to Imardin. It was a much easier journey than their mad dash down to confront the invaders. Their speed was set by the ability of the carts to travel without unnecessarily jolting their passengers.

The magicians had left the village as the High Lord had wished, within the hour. Some of the Warriors had spurred ahead, charged with messages for the Inner Council of the Guild as well as Vinara's instructions for selected Healers. Lorlen had decided that his muscles would not be able to stand another fast journey, so he and Rothen had been amongst the group which elected to travel with the injured.

Lorlen looked over to where Akkarin rode next to the cart bearing Sonea. He had retreated into his usual shell, cold, dispassionate and distant. He had ignored the most of the people who had tried to talk to him, only dealing with giving the necessary instructions for the journey or discussing Sonea's health with Vinara. _I wonder what he's really feeling,_ thought Lorlen, forgetting for the moment, the blood gem ring on his finger. _Does he really love Sonea, or is it another smoke screen?_

Some of the Warriors who had trained with Akkarin, Sonea and Yikmo, found the High Lord's remoteness from them very uncomfortable, especially as they had formed a close relationship during training. But the enthusiastic Warrior, keen to engage the young trainees' interests in fighting skills and tactics had disappeared and a few of them wondered if he would ever return, especially if Sonea did not recover from her injury.

"She seemed so fearful of him, Lorlen. She barely spoke in his company. It's all very well for him to say these things, but it's quite convenient that she's not able to speak to confirm it." Rothen spoke slowly as if trying to get a small child to understand the points he was making. "If he loves her, as you say, why did he allow her to play such a leading part in the confrontation? In that last encounter, it was just the two of them out in front of the others. He couldn't have put her in more danger if he'd tried!"

A few hours ago, Lorlen might have agreed with him, but now it was if scales had dropped from his eyes. He understood, now, all those glances Sonea and Akkarin had shared, the gesture in the Residence garden when Sonea touched the High Lord's hair and, of course, the extensive marriage feast and the complicated clothing they had ordered. All of it confirmed Akkarin's assertion that they had fallen in love and had planned their marriage over a long period.

"I am sure that when Sonea wakes, she will tell you herself. Did you see what happened at the end? Did you see how Sonea was injured?"

Rothen shook his head, "No I was distracted for a moment by something and when I looked again, Akkarin had just killed the Ichani."

Lorlen turned in the saddle and looked Rothen directly in the eyes, "Well, I did. Sonea deliberately stepped in front of Akkarin and took the balefire strike meant for him! She saved his life, Rothen. Was that the act of a frightened hostage in the power of an evil man or was it what someone would do to save the person they loved?"

Rothen stared back and for a moment, it looked as if he would argue, but then he said, "No, it was the act of a lover not a hostage. But I wonder, Lorlen, what spell was cast to make her think she was in love with him."

Lorlen gave up. _Nothing short of Sonea swearing a sacred oath will convince him_, he thought. He found himself wishing that some magician somewhere had found a way of transporting people from one place to another without the need for the intervening journey. _I'm not sure I can cope with Rothen in this mood all the way to Imardin!_

Sitting in the cart next to her patient, Vinara mentally reviewed some of her best sources for Healing. It didn't help that there was almost nothing in the Guild's library or the Healers' records about the effects of balefire. _It's not been seen in Kyralia for five hundred years, _she thought as she discarded source after source, _So I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that I can't think of anything._

_._

She placed her hand against Sonea's brow and let her mind go inwards. Sonea's life force was still low, but at least it was stable. Vinara was pleased to see that the power source was beginning to recover. _Perhaps __**it**__ knows what to do_, she thought hopefully. Magicians had an innate ability to self-Heal, although sometimes their bodies did not Heal in the most appropriate manner. Many a time she had had to re-break a broken bone which had Healed badly and in this case, she had no idea what was needed to make Sonea well again.

She looked closely at the woman lying so still in the cart. There had been no change in her condition since Akkarin had brought her to the village meeting room. She looked as if she were peacefully asleep. There was neither fever, nor any other symptoms as far as Vinara could tell, just an inability to wake up. Vinara found herself almost wishing that Sonea had been burned by the balefire. _At least then there would be something I could treat! I feel so useless at the moment._

Vinara glanced up at Akkarin, riding silently next to the cart. He had not spoken for some time and she was worried about him. Vinara had known him since he had entered the Guild as a boy and had been his teacher for a time. _He didn't much care for Healing,_ she remembered. _His main interest lay elsewhere. _She remembered the eager young novice he had been, his enthusiasm, his love of mischief and above all, his drive to be successful. She was fond of him and had been one of his strongest supporters when he stood for election. Since then, he had led the Guild well, but had always seemed so alone. She had been delighted when he had married Sonea but now, she wondered if it would have been better if the marriage had not taken place. _He's been badly affected by Sonea's plight and I dread to think how he will take it, if she doesn't recover._

Akkarin shut out the swirl of feelings and thoughts the blood gem ring was transmitting from Lorlen. They were an irritation he could well do without. For a moment he was tempted to tell him to take it off, but he knew that would be a mistake. _If it was risky telling the Council about the Ichani, it will be much more risky when I have to report on what happened,_ he thought. _I need to continue to be sure of Lorlen and what he is going to do._

He turned his thoughts back to Sonea. Although it was now some hours since she had been hit by the balefire, there was no change in her condition. More worryingly, it was obvious that Vinara had little idea what to do next. _All those hours of searching through old books and I never thought of looking for information on other aspects of black magic_ he thought sadly. _I never even contemplated they would use balefire!_

But a small inner voice said, _Even if you had known, it would not have changed anything! _And he knew that small voice was right. _I would gladly have sacrificed anything to defeat the Ichani, anything - except Sonea!_

He thought back to the night she made her promise to do everything in her power to keep him alive. She had been so earnest, but he'd never really thought she would actually do it, yet she had, without hesitation. It had all happened so quickly, one minute he was holding his own, the next, Kariko had burst through his defences and was preparing the killer strike. A minute later, Sonea was lying on the ground, the echo of her mental voice in his head _Akkarin….. _

Just before mounting his horse, Akkarin had held her hand and entered her mind. The rooms were empty, except for one, where a small figure was lying, as if asleep, on a soft rug. He had called her name, but there was no response and he wondered if she would ever respond again.

He turned to Vinara, "When we get to the Guild, I want Sonea taken to the Residence, not to the Healers' Quarters. There's plenty of room, so your team of Healers can stay there too."

Vinara looked at him strangely, but didn't argue, "Yes, High Lord," was all she said.

He felt relieved, for a moment he thought Vinara would try to dissuade him. He couldn't bear the thought of Sonea being kept somewhere away from him. He wanted her at home, so that when she opened her eyes, everything around her would be familiar. _When she opens her eyes, I want to be there_, he thought. _I want the first thing she sees to be me._


	17. Balkan

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Balkan**

Balkan let out his breath in a long sigh. He was silent for a moment, then looked over at Lorlen.

"A sad loss, the death of Yikmo. The Warriors will take a long time to come to terms with it. I'd had him picked out for my successor, you know, right from the time he graduated. He was my brightest student and I was very fond of him. Well, to be honest, everyone was very fond of him! Yes, it's a very sad loss, indeed."

"I could hardly believe it myself." Lorlen replied. "When the Ichani pulled up his head and I saw who it was, I felt so helpless. There was nothing anyone could do to rescue him."

Balkan hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Did anyone try?"

"Akkarin and Sonea were walking towards Kariko, some way ahead of the Warriors, sending strikes against him. I am sure they were hoping to get Yikmo away from his captor, but they were forced to concentrate their fire on Kariko. He kept them pretty busy fending off his own strikes."

Lorlen glanced at Balkan who looked pensive. The Administrator felt a cold chill run down his spine. _What is he thinking?_ Lorlen hadn't forgotten that Balkan, like Charen, had been one of the candidates for election as High Lord, the year Akkarin won.

"It was extremely unfortunate that Yikmo was brought out at that precise moment, when the High Lord and the others were attacking the Ichani leader." Balkan looked directly into Lorlen eyes, "I understand that you saw everything. Could anything have been done?"

Lorlen felt like an insect trapped on the end of a pin. Balkan had a piercing gaze when he chose to use it, and he was using it now. _What is he trying to do? Is he trying to find a reason to implicate Akkarin in Yikmo's death?_

_He's a naturally suspicious man!_ Akkarin's mental voice was both a shock and a reassurance to Lorlen.

_Akkarin, what should I say?_ he sent frantically. _I don't want to say the wrong thing._

But there was no reply from the High Lord, so it seemed Lorlen was on his own. He thought for a moment, then chose his words carefully.

"Akkarin and Sonea were concentrating on Kariko, even more so when he started to use balefire because they recognised the risks to the others if he was allowed to break through. He would have blasted the Warriors into nothingness in a matter of moments. In those circumstances, I don't think it would have been possible for either of them to do anything about Yikmo until Kariko had been dealt with," the Administrator said firmly, "I didn't see where the blast came from which killed him and his captor. It might have been one of our Warriors trying to hit the Ichani, or it could have been simply bad luck. There were strikes and balefire flying about and the energy discharges made it very difficult to see exactly where they were all coming from. Whatever it was, I am absolutely sure that any one of us would have done his or her best to rescue Yikmo if there'd been a chance."

Balkan looked down at his hands, "I'm sure you're right, Lorlen. It's just that I need to get it all straight in my mind." He frowned in frustration, "If only I hadn't had to stay here, I might have been able to save him."

_I was sorry I had to abandon you, Lorlen, but I had to go to Sonea_, Akkarin's mental voice sounded more cheerful, _It seems you were able to satisfy Balkan without my help_.

Lorlen was pleased to hear the cheerful note in the High Lord's voice. There had been no change in Sonea's condition since they'd returned earlier in the day and Akkarin had been spending a lot of time in the Residence, talking to the Healers. If he was feeling cheerful, her condition must have improved.

He looked up suddenly, realising that Balkan was still talking, "….to be some sort of investigation into the circumstances of this incursion. It might be the start of something much more difficult to deal with."

"The High Lord has arranged for the King to attend a special meeting of the Guild's Inner Council, as you know, Balkan, so I am sure he will make a full report then."

There was another little silence as Balkan stared at Lorlen, as if he were trying to make up his mind about something. Lorlen kept his face expressionless, wondering what the Warriors' Leader was going to say next.

"Do you think it odd, Lorlen, that the High Lord seemed to know so much about these Ichani?" Balkan hesitated, then added, "Why has he never mentioned before, that he lived with them for a while, during his years away?"

Lorlen found himself with something of a dilemma. Although for years, after having learned what Sonea saw, he believed that Akkarin had turned to evil, now he was beginning to believe that was not the case at all. When he tried to pin down exactly why he had changed his mind, he couldn't point to a single thing. It was more a growing feeling based on a lot of things which had happened recently, but, perhaps, mostly on his long association with Akkarin and the friendship they'd shared.

_But what do I say to Balkan?_ he asked himself. _That's the main problem at the moment. __What can I do to allay his suspicions?_

This time, the answer came to him from the mountains of paperwork he read every day.

"I know from dealing with the Guild's expenses, that the High Lord has a large circle of paid informants in many countries, and I'm sure he obtains a lot of information through this network. He's very well briefed on many matters both in the Allied Lands and outside. In fact, the King praised him recently for being better informed than his own Royal Advisors! I, for one, am very grateful that he was able to understand exactly what was happening at the Northern Fort and organised things so quickly to stop the Ichani in their tracks."

_Let's see what you say to that!_ Lorlen thought.

"Yes, yes, of course, I'm sure he is very well briefed. Well, I must be on my way, there's a lot to do to keep the Warriors from dwelling too much on their losses."

Lorlen was relieved when the door closed behind Balkan. _He's like one of those awful little dogs which stick their teeth in your hand and won't let go_. He poured himself a glass of wine and considered what to do next.

After some minutes careful thought and a glass and a half of wine, he decided that he needed to talk to Akkarin; no, not just talk, but demand a full and frank explanation of exactly what had been going on. _I'll not be put off with vague sayings and witty remarks, _he thought bullishly. _It's what I should have done right from the beginning, demanded answers and not moved until I got them._

He sent a query to the High Lord, but there was no answer and he could get no sense of any presence on the edge of his mind. He decided he wouldn't wait. That special meeting was only a day and a half away, and Lorlen didn't want to exist in this whirl of uncertainty any longer.

As he left his office, he sent a final message to Akkarin, _I'm coming to the Residence to see you and I won't leave until I do!_


	18. Will Honesty be the Best Policy

**Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan**

Will Honesty be the Best Policy?

He was quite amused. It was the first time that two of his blood gem wearers had been in the same place at the same time and the confusion of emotions, thoughts and attitudes he was receiving was almost overwhelming. Takan was looking after Lorlen as he waited in the guest room and they were both engaged in the polite social dance of the offering and accepting of refreshments, but underneath, both men were worried and it showed in the unconscious outpourings Akkarin was picking up.

He looked at the pale face of his wife, as she lay unmoving on her bed. He held her hand, as he had done almost continuously since she had crumpled at his feet. It lay in his, palm to palm, with his long fingers curled around it. There was no movement and it was cool to his touch, but her fingers lightly clasped his hand and he felt that was a good omen. She didn't want to let him go either. Although, outwardly, there was no change, Vinara had assured him that there were hopeful internal signs.

"Her power is restoring itself, as I thought it would," she had said, "And the life-force readings are a little stronger, not much, but definitely stronger. There is good reason to hope, Akkarin." Vinara had smiled at him and laid a hand on his arm. "Some of my best Healers are scouring our records for any mention of balefire. I'm sure they'll find something soon."

He kept those words, "…good reason to hope…" in the forefront of his mind. Vinara was an honest Healer, she wouldn't have said it, if it weren't true. Another blast of emotions roared into his mind and he was reminded that Lorlen had been sitting in his guest room for more than an hour. _I'll have to see him soon,_ he thought, but he was reluctant to move.

_How much can I tell him?_ he wondered. Although Lorlen himself felt he had made a reasoned decision to seek out the High Lord and demand an explanation, Akkarin could feel the unconscious turmoil radiating from the Administrator's mind, as he tried to decide between two very different points, Akkarin's innocence or guilt. _Is he capable of understanding things or will his indecisiveness cause even more difficulties?_

It was really no use putting it off any longer. He'd have to go down and face him. He didn't know if Lorlen would properly understand, but he did deserve an explanation. He had always regretted the breach with his oldest friend and perhaps now there was a chance to repair it.

He unclasped his hand and laid Sonea's down on the bedcover. The Healer who waited outside, came to take his place, and after freshening up a bit in his room, he made his way downstairs. As he neared the guest room, he met Takan coming the other way. His servant pulled a face and said, "The Administrator is somewhat upset, Master, and his language is no longer pretty."

"I'll see him now, Takan. Bring wine and some more savouries in a few minutes."

Akkarin silently opened the door and stood for a moment unobserved by the room's occupant, who was pacing backwards and forwards in front of the fireplace. Lorlen had never been what might be described as handsome. He had pleasant enough features and his figure was tall and well proportioned, but his skin was sallow, his mouth was rather large for his face and his hair tended to spring into wild corkscrew curls once it was dry. His best feature were his eyes, which were a dark moss-green colour, a most unusual shade for a Kyralian. As Akkarin looked at him, he could see the tension in his body and his hair looked as if the Administrator had run his hands through it several times during his wait.

"I'm sorry for the delay, Lorlen," Akkarin said, "I have been with Sonea and time just disappears."

Lorlen started as the unexpected voice disturbed his thoughts, but recovered quickly, "I said I'd wait for as long as it takes, Akkarin, and Takan has been looking after me. How's Sonea?"

Akkarin walked over to the side table and poured two large glasses of Anuran Dark. He gave one to his visitor and motioned to the easy chairs by the fireplace. He didn't answer until they were both seated.

"Vinara is hopeful that things are starting to improve, but she's still unconscious. No one knows what sort of things a balefire strike might do, if it doesn't burn its victim."

Akkarin sipped his wine and gazed at Lorlen over the rim of his glass. He deliberately said nothing, _This was Lorlen's idea, so let him start,_ he thought_. I won't give him any help with it._

Lorlen put his glass down carefully and sighed, "It's knowing where to start," he said almost to himself_._ "I have so many questions and I demand answers this time." He looked directly at Akkarin, "I've had enough of your dismissal of my concerns, your threats and your refusal to explain. So let's start at the beginning. How did you get mixed up in forbidden magic?"

The High Lord looked into the flames for a moment, then turned to Lorlen, "It all started so many years ago, while I was away from the Guild. I was looking for old stories about magic, for new types of magic, perhaps even for the first magic. I was going to write the most detailed book ever produced on the whole subject of magic. My research eventually took me to Sachaka."

He continued to look at Lorlen as he told the story of his capture by Dakova and his years as an Ichani slave. He saw Lorlen's face grow grim as he discovered the terrible life his friend had endured for years until he was able to escape.

"The price of my escape was to become a black magician, because only a black magician could defeat Dakova. When I got back to the Guild, I swore that was the end! I would knuckle down to work in the Guild and think no more about travelling, research or black magic. But Dakova had a brother, Kariko, who swore revenge, not just on me, but on the whole of Kyralia. His purpose was to kill me, defeat the Guild and conquer Kyralia. This had nothing to do with brotherly love! Kariko and Dakova had been trying for years to forge a new alliance between the various Ichani groups with a view to invading Kyralia. I was simply the cherry on the cake, a convenient excuse for Kariko to begin putting his dream into practice."

Lorlen frowned, "I don't understand how you came to be using black magic in Imardin years after you left Sachaka."

Akkarin smiled ruefully, "Kariko had a plan. They knew from reading my mind that the Guild no longer practised "higher" magic as they call it. That made the Guild weak in their eyes. However, he knew I had learned it and he thought I would pass on this knowledge to others in the Guild, especially after I became High Lord. The Ichani do not have the numbers to take on a Guild which uses higher magic, however, if I had not passed on my knowledge, the Guild was vulnerable."

"Ever since I have been High Lord, the Ichani had been sending black magicians to Imardin to test the Guild's defences. I have been killing them as quickly as I could, so the Ichani were never quite sure if the Guild was vulnerable or not." Akkarin swallowed the last of his wine and rose to refill his glass.

Lorlen said nothing and Akkarin could feel the conflicting emotions running though his mind. "How many have you killed, Akkarin?" he said at last.

"Do you think I keep score, Lorlen?" Akkarin smiled humourlessly, but as he saw Lorlen start to speak, he added, "About twenty or so, I think, may be one or two more."

"So when Sonea saw you….."

"I had just returned from killing a black magician, yes, that is exactly what I had been doing."

Lorlen was silent again, a mixture of emotions playing on his face. Akkarin could sense his growing feeling that perhaps things were not as they had once seemed.

"You should have told me, Akkarin! I was your best friend, your Administrator. You should have told me and told the Guild!"

Akkarin was saddened to hear Lorlen speak of their friendship in the past tense. _Does that mean I've lost?_ he wondered.

"Lorlen, how could I? I'd have to admit I'd learned black magic, against all the rules and vows of a Guild magician; that I stood for election as High Lord, knowing myself to be foresworn and that I continued to practise forbidden magic. Don't you think I considered it? It could not be done."

"And Sonea, how does she fit into all this? Lorlen asked, his gaze sharp and direct.

Akkarin sighed, "She found out what I did, so I told her the truth."

"How did she find out?"

"I was so badly injured one night, I barely made it back to the Residence. Once I was home, I collapsed and Takan sent for Sonea because I was losing so much blood and he couldn't stop it. I needed some Healing, you see, and there was no one else he could ask."

"I don't think I can forgive you for getting Sonea mixed up in all of this. You were her Guardian, responsible for her well being, yet she became embroiled in events which involved forbidden magic. She's just a girl and you took advantage of her." Lorlen's anger showed in his voice as he got up to fetch more wine.

"The original mistake was Takan's in getting her to Heal me," Akkarin said sharply. "Once she discovered what was happening, she demanded to know what was behind it all. If you think I could have prevented her from finding out everything, you clearly don't know her very well! Once she knew, she decided she wanted to help and that's why she began to study Warrior skills so enthusiastically."

Lorlen looked into Akkarin's eyes, a long calculating look and the High Lord was afraid of what his next question might be. _Don't let him ask about black magic and Sonea_, he thought, _I have to prevent him from finding out_.

But Lorlen's thoughts were moving on a different track. "Then you made it even worse by marrying her! You bound her to you in such a way, it's almost impossible to separate you. You say she fell in love with you, but how do I know it wasn't some sort of spell you cast on her?" He paused for a moment, then asked, "**Did** you seduce her while she was your Novice?"

_At least I don't have to lie about that_, he thought. "No, Lorlen, I didn't seduce her while she was my Novice. I didn't cast a spell on her." He smiled fondly, "Although I sometimes wonder if she cast one on me! I tried to tell her I was too old for her, that she would be happier with someone younger, but she wanted me, Lorlen. She loves me and she proved it by protecting me from Kariko. If she dies, I will never forgive myself." He rubbed his forehead for a moment, like a man with a bad headache, "Look, Lorlen, as far as Sonea and I are concerned, you need have no fears. I love her and she loves me. As you said, we are bound together. That is what we both wanted."

Lorlen let out his breath slowly and Akkarin could sense his confusion. Lorlen's desire to believe him was growing, but there was still a fear in his mind that Akkarin was simply telling him another set of lies.

Takan knocked at the door and entered, bring more wine and food. His appearance gave them both a breathing space and they turned their attention to refreshing their wine glasses and nibbling on some tartlets.

After the servant had left them alone again, Lorlen asked, "What do you intend to tell the Council?"

"As much of the truth as I can," Akkarin grimaced, "I would prefer not to reveal my knowledge of black magic, but I may not be able to conceal it for much longer. I would ask for your help in this, Lorlen." He said nothing more, waiting to see if Lorlen had enough faith in him to agree.

Lorlen glanced down at the blood gem ring for a moment, then removed it. He held it out to Akkarin, "You will no longer need me to wear this, then," he said.

Akkarin looked at the blood gem, weighing up in his mind the value of accepting the ring, against the information he could gain from Lorlen's conversations with others. _Will he understand if I ask him to continue wearing it_, he pondered. His hesitation caused suspicion to grow in Lorlen's eyes and he gave a bitter laugh.

"You don't want to take it back, do you? You don't even trust me at all, do you?"

Akkarin sighed, "I do trust you and I've told you what you wanted to know. But the blood gem is a valuable information tool. When you wear it, I can hear your conversations and sense your thoughts. It is helpful to me to know what others say to you. That's why I would like you to continue wearing it. I need to know what people like Balkan are likely to do."

Lorlen remained silent and went back to pacing the room, deep in thought. He had not replaced the ring, so Akkarin couldn't tell which way his thoughts were going. _ There's nothing more I can say, _he thought, _I shall have to leave it to Lorlen now._

Finally, Lorlen seemed to come to a decision. He stared intently at the High Lord and sighed, "I want to believe you Akkarin and what you've said today makes sense. It could all be true and I've been completely wrong about what you've been doing all this time. On the other hand, you are clever and have a reputation for being able to persuade and control people, so I could simply be just another one you've successfully fooled. No, don't say anything," he said sharply as it looked as if Akkarin was about to speak. "We've known each other for so long, I can truly believe that you're arrogant enough to think that you could single-handedly keep the Guild safe and would use any means to do so."

Lorlen paused again, then continued, "My loyalties lie with the Guild, but I've come this far, so a few more days shouldn't matter. So this is my offer, I will say nothing for the moment. I shall wait and see what happens at the Council meeting. I will wear the ring when I think it necessary, but I will never wear it all the time again. What do you say?"

Akkarin stood and came over to Lorlen, "A fair offer, old friend." He held out his hand and after a second, Lorlen took it. "I promise you won't regret it."


	19. The Sleeper Awakes

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**The Sleeper Awakes**

It was some time before Akkarin could return to Sonea's bedside. No sooner than Lorlen had gone back to his office, than the High Lord was required at the Palace for an unexpected meeting with the King. Merin had been particularly upset by the behaviour of several members of his Court and had not been able to impose himself sufficiently to deal with the situation. As usual, his first thought was to seek help from his long-time friend, the High Lord.

It took some hard work and a good deal of time for Akkarin's diplomatic skills to have their usual effect. He managed to conceal his impatience to be back at the Residence behind an efficiently business-like approach to the courtiers and the King. Eventually the courtiers went away satisfied and Akkarin was left with the King, who unfortunately showed no desire for his friend to leave. The High Lord found himself taking refreshments alone with Merin, while listening to a long and sometimes rambling discourse on the day-to-day problems facing the young monarch. It took a further three quarters of an hour to extricate himself and return home.

The Residence was quiet. It was Takan's free day so Akkarin supposed he was spending it with his lady-friend. The Healers seemed to be naturally quiet people, so he hardly registered their presence. He made his way to Sonea's room and took over from the Healer who had been sitting with her.

There seemed to be little change. Sonea still appeared to be peacefully asleep, although his careful gaze noted a slight improvement in her colour. He sat in his usual place and clasped her hand lightly. Like every other time , it lay still, but he thought it was fractionally warmer than before. He listened to her breathing; perhaps it was not so deep, more like a person who was enjoying a nap, rather than someone deeply asleep.

_What are you doing?_ he asked himself impatiently, _Clutching at straws! Leave it to Vinara, she knows what she's looking for!_

He thought instead of his conversation with Lorlen. It had seemed to go well, eventually, although there were moments when he felt he'd perhaps gambled and lost. In the end, it came down to the bonds of friendship which still bound them, despite the years of suspicion and sense of betrayal Lorlen felt. _Lorlen was always loyal_, he thought. I _just needed to make him remember that._

_I've been lucky as far as loyalty is concerned; first of all with Lorlen, then Takan and now Sonea. These three have been so important to me and I must never forget how much I owe to each of them._

His mind wandered and he was oblivious to the passing of time, so he had no idea how long he had been indulging his memories. It was the noise of someone in the corridor outside, then Sonea's door opening, which recalled him. It was only one of the Healers checking to see if he needed anything. He sent her away for the time being and turned to look at the quiet figure on the bed, only to find Sonea's eyes open and looking at him.

His heart lurched, "Sonea, you're awake!" he said rather unnecessarily.

Her voice was low and it was only with difficulty he heard her whisper, "You're alive! You're alive!"

He knelt beside the bed and kissed her as two large tears rolled down her cheeks. She raised her hand to his face and rested it there, staring directly into his eyes. "I thought you had died," she continued, "I saw your body lying on the ground beside me and I tried to save you, but it was too late…" Her voice trailed away as the tears continued to fall.

"I wasn't even hurt, Sonea, because you saved me. Don't you remember? You stepped in front of me and Kariko's balefire struck you instead."

She slowly shook her head, "The last thing I remember was Kariko sending the balefire at you and then you lying on the ground. I remember putting my arms around you and kissing you, but you were dead and I couldn't save you."

"You've been dreaming, Sonea. You've been unconscious ever since you were hit. It must have been a bad dream." He smoothed her hair back from her forehead and kissed her again, stifling the urge to lock his arms around her and crush her against his chest.

_Vinara?_

_High Lord?_

_She's awake._

_I'll come now._

This time, despite his protests, Vinara chased him from the room.

"I need time and space to examine her properly," she said firmly. "I'll call you as soon as I've finished."

He wandered down the corridor to his own room. He looked around aimlessly, before deciding to wash and change. His heartbeat had returned to something near normal, after the shock of finding her awake and speaking. He was rather concerned that she seemed to remember so clearly something which never happened. He wondered how long she had been living the nightmare of his death. He hoped it hadn't been very long. He tried to imagine his own reaction if Sonea had died, but gave up quickly because he just couldn't imagine how terrible it would have been.

It seemed hours before Vinara called him back. He rushed along the corridor and into Sonea's bedchamber. Vinara had pulled her up the bed and rested Sonea, half sitting, half lying against a mound of pillows and he was reminded of their last night together. Sonea was smiling at him, but before he could reach her, Vinara beckoned him over to where she was standing, near the window.

"Sonea is still very weak, but her life-force continues to grow slowly. She's a long way from being well, but it would be true to say she is making steady progress. Her power is also continuing to restore itself. She needs to rest, so don't do or say anything to agitate her. She needs you, Akkarin, but be careful with her." Vinara patted him on his arm, "No strong husbandly attentions just yet."

Akkarin felt the hot blood rush to his face. Vinara was the last person he expected to say such a thing. Vinara noticed, and chuckled. "It's obvious to me how strongly you feel about each other. I've known you a long time, my boy, and I'm so pleased you have found a lover at last." She patted his arm again and left, closing the door quietly behind her. He could hear her talking to one of her Healers, voices fading as they went down the corridor.

Sonea said softly, "Come over here, I want you close to me. I thought I'd lost you and I didn't know how I was going to cope alone."

"That's exactly what I felt, too. When you didn't wake and Vinara couldn't find out why, I felt lost. All I could do was think of you, my Sonea, and all the things we had done together."

He pulled his chair closer to the bed and took possession of her hand. This time, it grasped his firmly and he brought it to his lips and kissed it.

"You are a long way away still, my husband." she said softly. "I want you closer to me."

He raised his eyebrows and smiled that crooked smile she loved so much. "How much closer, my wife?"

She patted the bed beside her, so he arranged himself next to her, sharing her mound of pillows, and put his arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder and his heart beat a little faster at the joy of holding her close again, feeling her soft breath ruffle the silk of his robes. They stayed like that for a while and he felt himself relax.

Sonea raised her head and looked at him questioningly. He kissed her, but when he drew away slightly, she was still looking at him with a frown growing on her face. She stared at him intently, with a worried look in her eyes.

"What's the matter," he said quickly. "What's wrong?"

Sonea's face paled, "Can't you hear me?"

He knew immediately what she meant.

_Sonea?_ he sent. _Sonea, can you hear me?_

"You sent something, didn't you?" she said quietly, "but I couldn't hear you and you couldn't hear me before! Akkarin, I've lost my magic."


	20. Loss

**Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan**

**Loss**

Sonea's expression was one of anguish and disbelief. She frowned as she tried again and again to send a mind message, but it was no use. In the end, Akkarin said, "Don't try any more for the moment. You are still weak and exhausted, so that's probably why you can't use your magic." He spoke more calmly than he felt, because he feared that the balefire had done more damage than either he or Vinara suspected.

Sonea was crying harder, the tears running in a steady stream down her cheeks, so he tried to comfort her, while desperately thinking of something he could do. _A mind-read_, he thought after a moment, _I should be able to see what's going on in her mind._ _Perhaps it's something as simple as shock and Vinara can deal with it._

Sonea readily agreed when he asked about entering her mind. She rubbed the tears away with her fingers and blew her nose noisily into one of Akkarin's large handkerchiefs. She looked so woebegone that he kissed her gently, "We'll find what the problem is and then we can deal with it," he said softly.

He settled her down on the bed with her head resting on a pillow, and lay next to her. He brushed away a fresh tear and kissed her again. He felt her lips move against his mouth and her hands wind themselves in his hair to pull his face even closer to hers. After a moment, they drew apart slightly. She looked at him and he could see the absolute trust in her eyes; he hoped fervently that her trust was not misplaced. He put his hand against her cheek and closed his eyes.

He found himself in the rooms Sonea had constructed to represent her thoughts and feelings. He had made this journey many times in the past, so the rooms were very familiar to him but this time, he found them empty. Many of the items he remembered from before, furniture and pictures, had gone, leaving the rooms vacant, with an air of abandonment. He moved swiftly through them, remembering that on his last visit, he had found Sonea asleep on a rug, however when he reached that room, the rug was still there, but there was no sign of Sonea.

He called to her, but there was only silence. He remembered Vinara had assured him that both the life force and Sonea's power were gradually restoring themselves. _Vinara must have been able to see or feel the source,_ he reasoned, _otherwise she wouldn't have been able to judge whether or not it had increased._

He soon found the source of Sonea's magical power, but because she wasn't there, he couldn't open the door. He examined it closely. It had the appearance of a large, wooden door, constructed of heavy planks with iron studs and enormous hinges, and it was securely locked. He laid his hand on it to see if he could read the magic lock, but it was impossible. He could sense the power behind the door, it was growing just as Vinara had said, but there was no way he could see to access it. He spun on his heel and walked away in frustration.

After a moment, he turned back to look at the door again and as he concentrated, he began to see a slight gap along the bottom, which was illuminated by the power concealed within. At first, all he could see was the small strip of pulsating bright white light, but as he watched, the light appeared to change and he could just begin to see a faint purplish tinge to it. _Balefire!_ he thought in despair, _Balefire has corrupted Sonea's magic._

He tried to force his way towards the source to try to see how far the balefire had penetrated but he couldn't get past the door. He lay down on the floor and looked though the gap, but the strength of the light defeated him and he could see nothing. Everything else he tried also failed and in the end he had to admit that there was nothing he could do for the moment.

He opened his eyes and found Sonea gazing at him intently. "What did you find?" she asked eagerly.

He thought for a moment, remembering Vinara's instructions to take care with Sonea, "I found your power source and as Vinara says, it is restoring itself, as we would expect. Obviously I'm unable to access it, you'd have to open the door, but I could see some light in a gap under the door. The light is bright, but it has a tinge of purple to it."

Sonea looked puzzled for an instant, then said, "Balefire? Is that causing the purple tinge?"

"I believe so. I really don't know very much about balefire, because it's been banned in Kyralia for around five hundred years. I wasn't taught anything about it, except the fact that it's banned." He paused, then said, "There may be something in one of the old books."

Sonea groaned, "Not that dusty, dirty basement again!" and Akkarin laughed, "No, not for you, you have to rest. It seems as if that dusty, dirty duty will be mine!"

"Akkarin, what if I can't ever access my magic again? What if the balefire has blocked my powers, what will happen to me?"

Her voice was low and he had to strain to hear her. He could feel the tension in her body and her surface thoughts radiated fear and unhappiness. He tried to reassure her.

"It's much too early to think thoughts like that. This could be just a temporary thing and as you get better, the effects will wear off." He could hear the uncertainty in his voice and hoped that she could not.

Sonea sighed, "It's ironic, don't you think? When I was young, still living in the city, and I couldn't control my magic, I hated magicians and the Guild and I'd have given anything to be rid of it. Now, I can't even begin to think how I could live without magic. Already, I feel empty inside, as if half of my being has been wrenched away. Now I understand why the punishment of blocking a magician's powers is regarded with such horror. To live without magic, after having it fill your very essence, is terribly harsh punishment."

Akkarin tried to imagine how he would feel without magic, but he couldn't. It had been part of him for so long that the loss of it would be like losing an arm or a leg, he would no longer be whole. He wrapped Sonea in his embrace and tried to comfort her, encouraging her to sleep and promising that he wouldn't leave her.

She was silent for such a long time, he thought that she slept, but she suddenly spoke, "If my power continues to be blocked, will I have to leave the Guild? Would I have to leave you?"

"You are my wife, Sonea, and your place is with me, wherever I am, in the Guild or outside it." He spoke firmly and hoped she would take reassurance from his confidence.

There was silence again, but his thoughts kept running around his head, like a mouse in a wheel. _Who is there in the Guild who knows about balefire?_ _Who can I find to help me sort this out? _For the first time in many months, his ability to find his way through a problem seemed to have deserted him. He had no idea where to turn to find answers.

Sonea moved a little and spoke, but he couldn't catch the words. He illuminated a tiny globelight and saw she had fallen into a restless sleep. Tears were still leaking from under her lids, even asleep, she was mourning the loss of her magic.

He remembered an occasion, years ago just after he graduated, when an older magician had been found guilty of some terrible crime, he couldn't remember exactly what it was, but the punishment was the blocking of his powers and expulsion from the Guild.

The magician had put on a brave front throughout his Hearing, arguing his case with confidence. But Akkarin remembered his face, when the sentence had been announced, his pleas for mercy, which went unheeded. He was taken out of the hall for the sentence to be carried out. When he came back, no longer able to even touch his magic, he was weeping as Akkarin had never seen anyone weep before, great wracking sobs shook his body, the tears running unheeded down his face.

_That mustn't be allowed to happen to Sonea_, he decided. _I shall do whatever is necessary to find a cure, no matter how long it takes._


	21. Sonea's Confession

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Sonea's Confession**

Sonea was sitting in one of the large chairs in Akkarin's study, a warm blanket tucked around her and a hot cup of tea on the table next to her. There was a little colour in her cheeks and as far as Lorlen was concerned, she looked a hundred times better than the last time he'd seen her.

Rothen was sitting on the edge of a seat next to her and Akkarin, as promised, had left them alone, so she could tell her side of the story. She had talked about her health and they'd discussed the battle, but what Lorlen and Rothen really wanted to know was her relationship with the High Lord.

Eventually Rothen asked gently "Is what Akkarin said to Lorlen true? Do you love him?"

A little colour came and went as she smiled, "Yes, it's all true, I love Akkarin and he loves me."

Rothen looked down at his hands for a moment, then asked, "When did this all happen? Was it before you graduated?"

"Perhaps it would be easier if I explained what happened from the beginning." Sonea's gaze was direct and open. She gave every impression to her audience of not attempting to conceal anything.

"When I first moved into the Residence, it felt very strange and I was afraid of what might happen. I decided to act in a certain way, and I did! I was absolutely horrible to Akkarin, I tried to annoy him as much as I dared, I was rude, I stayed away as much as possible and when I was here, I developed a very good set of cutting remarks which I used whenever I could. Through it all, he was very patient and never really lost his temper with me, although there were times when I think he'd have liked to!"

She smiled to herself at the memories she was reliving, "After a while, I began to find myself thinking about him at odd moments. I found myself watching him, waiting for particular expressions or gestures, then I began to remember bits of dreams where Akkarin had some sort of part." She laughed softly. "I thought I was going mad. Here was this evil magician who dabbled in forbidden arts and I was wondering what he looked like under all that black silk!"

Rothen leaned forward and patted her arm, "You poor girl," he said sympathetically, "I can't imagine how alone you must have felt."

"But it was kind of exciting too," she said. "He was always so distant, so calm and I began to wonder whether he was like that inside or whether there was a passionate interior all bottled up. If there was, I wanted to be the one to release it. I had no idea what he felt, he's very good at wearing a mask and he always wore one when he was with me."

"Then one night, he came back very badly injured from fighting one of the Ichani. By the time Taken got him into the room, Akkarin was unconscious, unable to heal himself or take strength. The only thing Takan could think of was to fetch me. I didn't want to go, but I went." She closed her eyes for a moment, "He was in a terrible state, covered in blood, with huge cuts…anyway….I healed him. I began to wonder about what he did, about what I had really seen that night, all those years ago. Eventually I learned the truth."

"How did you know it was the truth?" Lorlen asked. "Akkarin is very clever and….."

"I know it was the truth," she interrupted, "I won't say how, that's not my secret, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Akkarin was keeping the Guild safe by killing the Ichani sent to Imardin."

A stubborn expression had formed on her face and Lorlen could feel her tension rise.

Rothen decided to calm things down and busied himself by replenishing the tea and passing round the small cakes, before settling down again and motioning Sonea to continue.

"I knew the truth, but I didn't know what to do. I went to my special place in the forest to think about it, but Akkarin found me and told me all about his time in Sachaka and what he'd done there. Finally, I could understand it all and I knew Akkarin was not evil, instead he was courageous and brave, choosing to risk his life to defend what he believed in. But that's not all I discovered that day."

She fell silent again, this time for several minutes. Neither Lorlen nor Rothen wanted to disturb her train of thought. Eventually, she looked up and smiled at them both.

"I discovered, quite by accident, that Akkarin was attracted to me, indeed, he had very deep feelings for me. I couldn't believe it at first, but everything I felt for him, he felt for me. I was so happy, and told him about my own feelings, but he rejected me. He said all the things you would expect about being my Guardian, about needing to protect me, and that there could never be anything between us."

"He drove me away with strong words and I went. I was angry and felt betrayed. Most of all I felt a fool for having revealed my own feelings. I went back to being a difficult Novice, treating him badly, just like before. Then, later on, he was hurt again after another battle. Takan sent for me and when I came to him, seeing him there, all bloody and in pain, I decided I would do something. And I did. After I healed him, I seduced him."

Rothen looked shocked, "You did what?"

Sonea laughed, a genuine, hearty laugh, "I'm a dwell, remember. We don't pussy-foot around like you nobles, following all the rules about proper behaviour. As I saw it, he had feelings for me, I wanted desperately to make love to him, so what was the problem? If he wouldn't make a first move, then I would. It was easier than I thought, probably because his defences were low due to his struggle with the black magician, but I succeeded that night."

"But you swore a most solemn oath, Sonea," Lorlen was shocked that the oath should have been taken lightly, but Sonea laughed again.

"You keep forgetting I'm a dwell. We know how to make an oath which says much and says nothing. I swore that Akkarin had not seduced me when I was his Novice. That was absolutely true. I was the seducer. My oath was true."

Rothen and Lorlen looked at each other, then Rothen said, "Well, I suppose that explains the oaths you both made regarding the marriage."

Sonea giggled, "Yes he swore not to force himself upon me and I swore to tell you if he did. I can assure you both that force was the last thing either of us needed to use."

Rothen and Lorlen looked at each other again. There could be no doubt, the two of them did love each other and there were no more fears that the High Lord would harm Sonea in any way.

"I'm glad to know the truth at last, Sonea. You are very much like a daughter to me and once I even hoped that you an Dorrien would make a pair, but that's all in the past now. I've been very worried about you. I'm glad to know that Akkarin has been taking proper care of you."

"Thank you Rothen, I didn't like deceiving you, but I feared you wouldn't believe me if I'd told you earlier. Akkarin has taken the very best care of me and I don't regret a single minute of being here in the Residence with him. Would you call him for me?" A look of sadness crossed her features as she remembered her loss.

Akkarin came almost as soon as the message was sent. He crossed to Sonea and bent to kiss her. Her arms went round his neck and if there were any lingering doubts in the minds of Rothen or Lorlen, they were dispelled. The expressions on the faces of the lovers proved the truth of their declaration.

Akkarin stared at his visitors, "Well, gentlemen, what now?"

Rothen cleared his throat, "Perhaps we could help you in your search for information about balefire. I feel I might be quite useful, indeed, I must help you, because it was an Alchemist who first discovered the secrets of creating balefire. I think all Alchemists have felt secretly guilty ever since."

"Purple!" Akkarin suddenly said, "Of course! That's why you wear purple."

Rothen nodded, "How did you know that? It's supposed to be one of the secrets only known to Alchemists. Hundreds of years ago, when it became obvious what a terrible thing the Alchemists had created, they were all made to swear an oath never to do anything with alchemy, which would create something so dangerous ever again. To make sure we'd never forget that oath, all Alchemists have had to wear purple, the colour of balefire."

Akkarin had a pleased expression on his face, "It's all about colour."

The others looked at him curiously, but he made a dismissive gesture. "It's nothing. Now, Sonea must rest, and I must prepare for the meeting of the Inner Council."

Lorlen recognised dismissal when he heard it, and left, taking Rothen with him.

Sonea asked, "Did you hear any of that?"

"Yes, Lorlen wore the ring." He looked at her quizzically, a crooked smile playing on his lips, "I learnt one or two things myself. Tell me more about the dreams you had about me."

Sonea shook her head, laughing, "Certainly not! You'll be even more conceited! But I will say just one thing. When I finally discovered what was under all that black silk, I was not disappointed!"


	22. The Guild Investigates

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT World – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**The Guild Investigates**

Lorlen watched the members of the Inner Council walk into the Residence's meeting room. Vinara had her usual worried frown and he supposed she was still thinking about one or two of her patients. Balkan was carrying a large notebook, no doubt already containing his impressions and thoughts so far. The Head of the Alchemists, Lord Strehbin, was mumbling to himself as he sat in a chair and Lorlen had no idea what that indicated. It only remained for the King and the High Lord to arrive and the Council was complete.

Vinara helped herself to refreshments, which had been placed on a sideboard and offered to serve the others. A few minutes passed in relative silence as they munched on the savouries and sipped the fruit juice or tea.

The door opened to admit the King, accompanied by the High Lord and they rose to their feet and stood until he was seated. The King occupied the High Lord's chair at the head of the table and Akkarin sat immediately to his left. "I ask the High Lord to present his summary of events which took place the other day and ask you to keep any questions you might have until he has finished." Merin indicated for Akkarin to start.

The High Lord presented a full and objective summary of the key events. He neither attempted to gloss over things, which might have been regarded as mistakes, nor claimed any credit for which he was not entitled. Lorlen noticed that Balkan was scribbling furiously in his notebook, whilst Strehbin appeared to be in his own little world, a frown creasing his brow.

"The event can be claimed as a Guild success, despite the heavy loss of life. Yikmo always knew that there would be deaths among the Warriors and the volunteers were also aware of the risks. Are there any questions?" Akkarin looked firstly at the King and then at the others round the table.

Merin's expression was full of concern, "Is it your opinion that these Ichani will try again to invade Kyralia?"

"I think it very likely, Your Majesty," Akkarin replied, "The only question is how long it will take them to build up sufficient numbers to try again. The fact that we killed all of the Ichani, magicians and slaves, means that word will take a long time to filter back to the other groups. As they live in the wastelands and other remote areas, there are few visitors who will be able to carry word of the defeat. However, I believe that the Guild must work out a suitable plan for dealing with them, when they do."

There was a long discussion about the Warrior training led by Yikmo, Sonea and Akkarin, who was able to explain how the training was developed and the successes it led to in the battle itself. In the end, everyone agreed that the training had been a key factor in the success of the mission and Balkan assured them that it would continue to be a part of the general training all Warriors received.

Merin asked some more questions about the Ichani and their relationship with the Sachakan King and there was a wider discussion regarding the threat posed by these rogue magicians.

Balkan cleared his throat and looked up, "I wonder if you would tell us, High Lord, just how it is you know so much about them." He fixed Akkarin with a direct gaze, "Since this matter arose, I have been searching our records but find barely a mention of them."

"As I said previously, I lived among them for some years and I observed their customs and practices closely during that time. Since my return, I have paid a number of informants to supply me with up-to-date information. The Administrator has the details, if you require them."

Lorlen nodded, "That's true. I have discussed the sums paid to the High Lord's informers on a number of occasions, especially when the cost has been high."

But Balkan was not satisfied, "You say "…living among them…" but they don't seem to me to be people who would welcome a Guild magician living among them, rather they seem more like people who would kill any foreign magician they came across."

Akkarin smiled without humour, "You are correct, Balkan. The Ichani make a habit of killing Guild magicians. However in my case they decided to keep me alive. That was eventually their undoing."

"When I first came upon an Ichani camp, they were led by a man called Dakova who welcomed me and treated me well for a day or two. Then he attacked me and although I was considered strong by the Guild, I was no match for him. He defeated me and drained my power until I could barely make a globelight. "

As Akkarin was telling his story, Lorlen took the opportunity to observe the reactions of the others. After their initial surprise, they settled down to listen. The King was frowning slightly and Vinara and Strehbin were paying close attention, but Balkan was staring hard at Akkarin, his face grim. Lorlen didn't like that look.

_Akkarin, have a care for Balkan_, he sent but felt nothing of Akkarin's response to the warning through the blood gem link.

Akkarin paused for a moment, sipping his tea carefully, then he continued, "I was desperate to escape, and tried many times, but each time I was recaptured. In the end, there was only one way to succeed. I had to have the same magic as the Ichani. Only then could I fight them as an equal."

"You mean you learned black magic?" Balkan's voice was full of horror and there were shocked noises from some of the others.

The King's face paled, "Is that true, you learned black magic?"

"Yes. I was lucky enough to find an enemy of Dakova who taught me what I needed to know. I learned higher magic and used it to kill Dakova and all his followers. Then I came back to Imardin, determined to put everything I knew about the Ichani and their magic behind me."

Balkan's voice was firm, "You understand what this means, High Lord? You have broken your strictest vow. You will have to stand trial and you know what the punishment is likely to be."

Merin looked up quickly, "Let's not be too hasty, Lord Balkan. The High Lord has just saved Kyralia from invasion by black magicians. He deserves a full hearing." Merin turned to Akkarin, "Do continue."

Akkarin bowed slightly, "Thank you, Your Majesty. Yes, Balkan, I knew exactly what I had done, but as far as I could see, there was no other choice." He paused for a moment, "I wonder how many of us fully realise what this thing we call black magic really is. I have been studying the Guild's ancient records and I have made many interesting discoveries. It may surprise many of today's magicians to learn that for the first two hundred years of its existence, the Guild practised higher magic, as it was originally known. It was very highly regarded by all until there was a terrible incident involving one of the Apprentices. In the aftermath, a decision was taken to no longer use it. Records were rewritten to remove mention of it; books of magic were destroyed and all Guild magicians were forbidden to even discuss it. That was five hundred years ago and today's magicians should be forgiven for their lack of knowledge and fear of it."

"But my researches led to a very interesting discovery. Although the use of black magic was banned and books were destroyed, not everything was lost. There were a group of higher magicians who recognised that there may come a time when the Guild would be threatened by powerful magicians from outside Kyralia and the Allied Lands who used this magic and if all knowledge of it was lost, so would the Guild be lost."

The expressions on some faces began to change from shock to interest, even Balkan had lost some of his hostile look and was listening carefully. The King's whole attention was fixed on Akkarin, his expression friendly, and Lorlen began to hope that Akkarin would succeed in his arguments.

"I discovered a chest of books about higher magic which had been carefully preserved and hidden in the Library storeroom. As I searched further, I found bits and pieces of information, which fleshed out the history of the Guild and the reasoning behind the preservation of information. I also found something very interesting about colours."

"Colours!" Vinara sounded completely puzzled. "What have colours to do with it?"

Akkarin smiled, "Lord Strehbin why do Alchemists wear purple?"

Strehbin frowned, "That is something which Alchemists do not discuss, High Lord."

"But I insist, Strehbin, why do Alchemists wear purple?"

Strehbin looked down at his hands and mumbled, "It's to remind us about balefire." He went on to explain how balefire was discovered and why it was forbidden.

"So you see that the colour Alchemists wear is an important part of the Guild's history and development," Akkarin continued. "If you look at the early records, you will discover that High Lords wore white and silver to honour the Eye of Heaven who was regarded by early Guild magicians as having a protective role over magic. Five hundred years ago, it was decreed that High Lords would wear black and only black. I asked myself why that change was made. After all black is a drab and dreary colour and one might expect the leader of the Guild to wear more dramatic colours."

"When the Guild decided to forbid black magic, it made an exception. There was to be one person in the Guild at any one time who would be able to practise black magic if and when the occasion arose. That person would also have the responsibility of deciding whether there needed to be others who also knew how to use it. That person was the High Lord and in recognition of this duty, the colour of his robes was changed to black. Originally, each High Lord left a secret document for his successor, which provided the necessary knowledge of black magic. But five hundred years is a long time and it would only take the unexpected deaths of one or two High Lords before they were able to pass on the responsibility for the practice to die out. And that is exactly what happened."

Balkan stared directly at Akkarin, "You are saying that all High Lords were black magicians and it is only through unfortunate circumstances that knowledge of this was forgotten?"

"Yes, that is exactly what was intended when the Guild decided to forbid the use of black magic. Those higher magicians did not want to leave the Guild defenceless, but neither did they wish to risk another set of events like those which led to the original ban. This was their compromise, their fail safe." Akkarin sat back in his chair and took a sip of his tea.

There was an outbreak of chatter around the table as more questions were asked and answered. The King said little, but paid close attention to the arguments and Akkarin's answers. As the chatter started to fade, Balkan asked, "Can you prove all this, High Lord?"

"Yes, I can. I have a large number of records and documents here in the Residence which I have discovered over the years of my research. I think you will be satisfied with the evidence that what I have said today is the truth."

Merin cleared his throat quietly and all talking stopped. "If the proof which the High Lord says exists is scrutinised by the appropriate people and proves to be correct, then it would appear, Lord Balkan, that High Lord Akkarin has not broken any Guild laws by having a knowledge of black magic or even by using it. In those circumstances, there is no need for further investigation. Indeed, it seems to me that this Inner Council would need to reintroduce the practice in order to safeguard the Guild in the future. I will leave you to your further deliberations."

The magicians stood as the King made his departure. Once the door closed behind him, Akkarin suggested that a glass of wine would not go amiss and rang for his servant. Takan had obviously been prepared for the summons because he came in with a tray of various bottles and glasses, which he placed in the centre of the table.

Lorlen poured the wine for everyone and they sat back to consider what they'd heard.

_Akkarin? You have won!_ he sent.

_It's a bit too soon to celebrate, Lorlen, _he replied.

Balkan looked directly at Akkarin, "I hope you will forgive my direct questions, High Lord," he said stiffly, "But it seemed to me that there was a serious matter here which needed discussion."

"You were only doing your duty as a higher magician, Balkan," Akkarin replied smoothly, "I would have thought less of you if you hadn't raised your concerns. It has taken me a long time to find the evidence I needed, so carefully had it been hidden all those centuries ago. I have been living with this knowledge for so long now, and it still surprises me sometimes. I can imagine how difficult it is for you all to take it in."

They went back to drinking their wine, each lost in their own thoughts, trying to make sense of what they had heard. As Akkarin had said, it was a huge task for some of them, having been taught all their life of the evils of black magic.

Eventually, Akkarin said, "Balkan, it would be appropriate for you to examine the documents I have found and judge their authenticity. I don't think it would be wise for the wider Guild to discover what we have discussed today. If, as the King has indicated we should, we consider the reintroduction of the original plan, it should remain a secret known only to members of the Inner Council."

The meeting broke up shortly afterwards and soon, only Lorlen remained. He looked with some admiration at Akkarin.

"I don't know how you manage it, but just when all seems lost and you are about to be exposed in some way, you manage to surprise us all. You used to do this when we were novices and in all sorts of trouble, and I am delighted you have lost none of your skills."

Akkarin sighed, "It is a relief to have it out in the open, but I'm still not sure that Balkan agrees. It will be interesting to see what he says after reading the documents. I am lucky that Merin still trusts me and that our long years of friendship still mean something to him. If he had not supported me, then the outcome may have been different." He smiled at Lorlen. "I'm very glad you trusted me in the end, old friend."

"So am I, Akkarin, so am I."


	23. The King

**Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan.**

**The King**

Akkarin made a sharp exclamation of annoyance. He had just settled down on the banquette with Sonea curled up beside him, her head resting on his shoulder, ready to tell her all about the meeting of the Inner Council, when he received Takan's mental message.

She twisted a little to look up at him, "What's the matter?"

"It's Merin! He's just sent one of his messengers to say he wants to see me privately, and you know what that means – I shall be gone half the night!"

Sonea sighed, "It's not as if you have a choice." She sat up as Akkarin rose to his feet and waited until he took her hand and pulled her into his arms.

"I'd much rather stay here with you," he whispered. "Especially now that you're so much better!"

"I'll still be better when you get back!" she said with a smile and kissed him lingeringly.

After a few pleasurable minutes, Akkarin reluctantly let her go and they went up to his room so he could change. When the King's message stressed the private nature of any visit, it was not appropriate for the High Lord to be seen entering or leaving the Palace, so Akkarin usually wore Court clothing.

As he stripped off his robes, he could feel Sonea's intense gaze generate a warmth in his skin. She always liked to watch him undress and he liked her to like watching him. _You really are conceited_, he thought ruefully, as he pulled on the tight fitting dark blue trousers and the long black boots. He quickly sorted though the shirts hanging in his wardrobe and selected a cream silk one with lace at the neck and cuffs. A dark blue jacket, tastefully embroidered in fine silver thread completed his outfit.

He turned and saw his wife was admiring the way that Court clothing emphasised his broad shoulders, narrow waist and slim figure and he couldn't resist a smile.

"Do I look presentable?" he asked slyly.

She grinned, "People who fish for complements don't deserve them! Still, presentable is a good choice of word, I think."

He collected his cloak and hung it over his arm. "I'm taking my horse, so I won't have to wait around for the coach. I'll be back as soon as I've dealt with whatever it is the King wants."

There was someone waiting to take his horse and the King's personal servant was also on hand to take him to Merin's private apartment. As he followed the man down the hidden corridor, Akkarin hoped that the King had not been drinking too much again, because that made him much more difficult to deal with. Although Merin was only in his early thirties, he had not really adapted to his role with the same degree of success as his friend, the High Lord and he frequently turned to wine when he felt under pressure.

Akkarin was shown into the King's private study, a small, but comfortable room with a cheerfully blazing fire. Merin was already seated in his favourite chair, a rather old leather armchair, his legs stretched out towards the flames. He waved Akkarin to another, equally old chair, opposite.

"I've some of your favourite wine here, Akkarin, help yourself to a glass."

As he took his time opening the bottle and pouring the wine, Akkarin tried to judge the King's mood. He seemed cheerful and if the open bottle near his chair was anything to go by, he had only had a couple of glasses so far this evening.

He settled himself comfortably against the cushions, "So, Merin, what do you want to see me about?"

The King laughed, "Straight to the point as always, 'krin. Well, firstly, I wanted to congratulate you on how you handled the meeting this afternoon. I thought one or two of them might have been more awkward, but you seem to have surprised them so much, they didn't know what to say."

Akkarin was relieved. The fact that Merin had addressed him by his old nickname meant he was in a happy mood. They had been 'krin and 'rin to each other since childhood and he often wondered if the King's other Advisors realised just how informal their private relationship was. He suspected they didn't otherwise they would have tried to prevent its continuation.

"I was relieved too, 'rin." Akkarin thought he should reciprocate the gesture and use the King's nickname. "I thought that Balkan would have been a bit more pressing in his arguments. I've heard him described as one of those little dogs with sharp teeth that won't let go."

Merin frowned, "That was the other thing. My sources tell me that Charen and Balkan met together for an hour this evening. Unfortunately, no one was able to hear what was said, but I'm told they were engaged in close conversation. Ever since that business over Lady Sonea, I've been worried about your enemies in the Guild and what they might do."

Akkarin paused, thinking about the possible implications of such a meeting, then he said, "Thanks for telling me, Merin. It's helpful to know who is meeting with whom. I shall take my own steps to keep an eye on them. By the way, did your sources happen to tell you which one arranged the meeting?"

Merin shook his head, "They didn't say. Do you want me to find out?"

"No, it's better not to draw any more attention to it. I'll follow it up."

Merin sipped his wine, staring into the flames and Akkarin was content to watch him and wait. These private meetings tended to follow a similar pattern with the King taking his time to get round to explaining exactly what he wanted. Akkarin had learned the hard way that the King was not a man to be hurried when he was in that sort of mood.

They had been friends for over twenty-five years, ever since Akkarin had joined the select band of young nobles specially selected to be companions to the young prince, who was then the second son of the King. Merin was several years younger than his brother, the Heir, and very different in both looks and personality. Whereas Crown Prince Methin was tall, golden haired and handsome, Merin was of average height, with light brown hair and rather plain features. Methin excelled at warrior skills and other sport, while his brother was leaden-footed and clumsy on the training ground and rather hopeless at any kind of sport. Methin had a wide circle of friends and an easy manner, but Merin was shy and awkward in company and clung to the only real friend he had, Akkarin.

Merin had been a difficult boy to cope with and the other companions soon lost interest, making no effort to encourage him or provide him with the support he needed. Akkarin, looking back, supposed that he had felt sorry for the boy and had persisted with him, much to the derision of the others. _But I've had the last laugh_, he thought. _Merin is my friend and now he's King, he's able to offer me so much more in the way of support._

_It was ironic_, Akkarin thought, _That Methin, the golden warrior and supreme sportsman, should have died falling from his horse while riding in a procession_. No one knew what caused his horse to rear, or what malign fate caused a jagged rock to be in the exact place where Methin's head fell, but it meant that shy and awkward Merin became Heir, much to his father's shock and disappointment.

_He never cared for the boy nor taught him how to be King_, Akkarin mused, _That's the real problem._

He glanced up and noticed that the King was staring at him. "I'm sorry, Merin, I was lost in my thoughts. Did you say something?"

Merin laughed, "About five minutes ago I wondered if you wanted more wine, or something to eat, but you were obviously thinking very deeply about something. No, don't apologise," he said quickly as Akkarin started to say something, "Like me, I expect you have few times when you can be left alone with your thoughts."

The King rose and went to collect some plates of food. He set one at Akkarin's side and kept the other. He sat down again and began to nibble on a cake. He swallowed, then gulped some wine, then put glass and plate down.

_He's ready,_ thought Akkarin.

"You've taken some risks recently and I've been happy to provide you with all the support you need in the Guild, but…" Merin paused for a moment. "My Senior Advisor, Lord Dagran, has been hinting that the Guild is becoming too powerful and could threaten Royal power. He believes the reason is because the Guild has a powerful and very young magician as High Lord. He fears you will be High Lord for decades and will consolidate your power and that of the Guild. He constantly urges me to seek ways to curtail your power and constrain the Guild."

Akkarin was not surprised. He often found that Lord Dagran opposed him in the King's Council and he knew that the Senior Advisor had little respect for Merin and would, on occasions simply try to bully him into following his advice.

"There's one other thing about Dagran you may have forgotten. He is head of Charen's House and they are quite close. If word gets out about your involvement with black magic," Merin frowned, "I fear they might act together to try to have you removed."

"I shall take steps to ensure that no one outside those who already know, will find out about recent events. Don't worry, Merin. As long as you are King and support the Guild and its High Lord, there's very little Dagran or his friends can do."

It's not me I worry about!" Merin said quickly, "It's you! If they try to bring formal charges, it may be difficult to resist a Hearing. I'm not sure how far your evidence about High Lords and black magic in the past would help you. I don't want to lose you, 'krin. You have been a loyal Advisor to me, the only one I can truly rely on and if you are removed, I'll have no one I can trust."

For one painful moment, Akkarin thought Merin might actually break down in tears, but the King made an effort to remain calm. He stood up abruptly and filled his glass, emptying it in one long swallow, before pouring another. He turned to Akkarin.

"It's been a long day, and I don't want to keep you," Merin smiled at his visitor, "I just wanted to warn you to be alert to what Charen might be up to."

"Thanks for the warning, Merin. I'm very grateful." Akkarin stood and reached for his cloak. "I'll let you know if I find out anything."

The Residence was in darkness when he arrived home. He created a small light and made his way up to his bedchamber. He found Sonea lying in his bed, there was no need now for the pretence of separate rooms; she had fallen asleep over a book. He looked at her for a moment, and wondered again at the fate, which had given him such a beautiful and passionate lover. He gently took the book from her fingers and laid it on the table. She must have sensed his presence because her eyes opened and a warm smile curved her lips.

"You're back," she said softly.

"As you see," he replied.

He slipped out of his clothes, dropping them on the floor, he didn't want to waste any more time. She opened the blankets and he slipped in beside her, gathering her in his arms.

"At last…." she murmured. "It's been so long and I've missed you so much."

He kissed her and whispered in her ear, "I've missed you too. Now, let me show you just how much."


	24. To Find a Cure

**Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canav**an

**To Find a Cure**

It was only with the greatest of efforts that Akkarin managed to hold on to his temper. He rose abruptly from his chair and stalked over to the side table. He poured a large glass of wine and stared at it for a moment, before swallowing it down in one gulp. He turned to face his guest.

"A glass of wine to help your thoughts, Strehbin?" he asked, his voice deceptively cool.

The Head of the Alchemists' Discipline nodded, seemingly unable to speak. When the High Lord brought him a full glass, he reached for it eagerly and raised it to his lips, only a slight trembling in his hand betraying his nervous state.

Akkarin refreshed his own glass and returned to his seat. He had been talking to Strehbin for almost an hour and had not learned much of interest regarding the balefire, which had so badly affected Sonea. He groaned inwardly, Strehbin was such hard work. He was one of the oldest magicians still occupying an important post in the Guild, most of his contemporaries having changed to less demanding roles or retired altogether, but the old Alchemist stubbornly clung to his position of authority, relying on several of his younger friends and acquaintances to do most of the work involved.

_He's practically senile_, Akkarin thought angrily, _How am I going to get anything useful out of him!_

Sonea had recovered completely from her ordeal in the physical sense, but the loss of her magic had affected her badly and it seemed as if her spirit had been crushed. She tried to put on a brave face whenever Akkarin spoke to her about it, but he had been woken on many nights by her nightmares, when she cried out in her sleep and scalding tears ran from under her closed lids. He had tried to reassure her, saying that he preferred to have her alive without magic, than dead, but she took no comfort from it. She refused to leave the Residence, saying she couldn't bear to be with other magicians who used magic for the simplest things. She moped in her room or sat in his study staring endlessly into the fire, happy only when he was with her.

He had discussed the situation with Vinara, but she had not managed to dig up anything useful in the Healers' records. Lorlen had searched through the Guild's official records and found nothing. It was as if the Guild had wiped all mention of balefire from every single document, book or parchment. _Alchemists created it, so alchemists must know what to do about it! _Akkarin thought finally, so he had called Strehbin to the Residence, feeling almost certain that the answer lay somewhere in his muddled old head.

"I'm sorry, High Lord," Strehbin quavered, "But I can't recall anything which would be helpful."

"But there must be something! After all, it was created by Alchemists. and its terrible effects must have caused your Discipline great concern, why else choose to wear purple as a constant reminder of your involvement in its creation. There must have been something you learned when you became Head of the Alchemists." Akkarin fought to keep his voice calm and his tone reasonable. It would not be helpful to frighten the old man too much.

Strehbin rubbed his forehead tiredly, he picked up his wine and swallowed a little more. He sat still and stared into space, he shuffled through the papers he'd brought with him, then had a little more wine. At last he looked up at the High Lord.

"No, there's nothing I remember. When I took over from Lord Marsin, he talked to me about things I should know, but I can't remember everything he said, it was such a long time ago." Strehbin looked at Akkarin and smiled shakily, "I'm so sorry."

"What about your Discipline's records? Surely there must be something there?" Akkarin was beginning to fear that Strehbin really did know nothing and if that was true, then there was nowhere else to go.

"I've looked, High Lord. Lady Vinara spoke to me about it a few days ago and I looked then, but there's nothing."

"Perhaps there is someone else who might remember something?" Akkarin was now at the clutching at straws stage, "What about Rothen? He was there and immediately recognised the balefire, perhaps he might jog your memory?"

Strehbin nodded a bit too eagerly, he too, was at the end of his tether, "Rothen's made a study of the early work of Alchemists, he's sure to know something."

Akkarin sent out a mental summons for Rothen. While they were waiting for him to arrive, the High Lord poured more wine and encouraged Strehbin to sample some of the cakes. He spoke no more about balefire, but tried to talk about more general matters, hoping to calm the old man and perhaps encourage him to remember.

Once Rothen arrived, Akkarin quickly explained what he was hoping to find out and asked him to have a quiet word with Strehbin.

"I will leave you alone for a few minutes, Rothen," he said, "Perhaps you will be able to help him remember something, anything at all, about balefire and its effects."

Akkarin left the two Alchemists and went to his study to see how Sonea was getting on. He found her sitting at a table, which was covered with books, reading and making notes. She looked up as he came into the room and smiled.

"I've decided to look at everyone of your books to see if there is anything which might help."

She looked so enthusiastic, he didn't want to dampen her spirits by saying he'd already searched them. Lately, he had come round to the view that information, if it existed, was more likely to be found in the memories of older magicians, rather than in the written records of the Guild. _When they decided balefire was so dangerous, they destroyed everything,_ he thought. _It was not like black magic, which could appear from outside the Allied Lands so they thought they had no reason to leave any guidance. But of course, they were wrong, so terribly wrong!_

He sat next to her and picked up one of the books, turning the pages, giving her the impression that the task might be successful. After a moment or two, he sighed and put the book down.

"I'm sorry, Sonea, but I just can't concentrate. An hour with Strehbin has left my brain like soggy wool. I only hope that Rothen can trigger something in the old man's memory."

Sonea smiled, "Rothen is very good you know, I'm sure if there's anything there, he'll find it." She paused a moment, "I feel so much better today, Akkarin. I tried to light a globelight earlier and I could almost do it. I could feel my power so close, I could almost touch it. Perhaps the balefire is weakening and eventually it will go altogether. Would you look for me?"

Akkarin reached over and took her hand, then closed his eyes. He slipped into her mind and drifted through the rooms until he came to the thick wooden door which led to her power source. As usual, he was unable to open it, so he waited until he could clearly see the thin strip of light which showed beneath the door. The last time he had visited, the light had a faint tinge of purple. To his horror, the light now showed a much deeper shade of purple. It was not, as Sonea thought, that the balefire was weakening, rather it seemed to be growing in strength, penetrating deeper into her power, turning it a darker purple.

He felt a sense of panic spread through him. _What will happen to Sonea if the balefire corrupts all of her power completely and the source turns deep purple? Could she survive that? Could the balefire burn her from within?_ He had no way of knowing the answer to these terrible questions.

He opened his eyes and found Sonea staring intently at him, a look of eager anticipation in her eyes. He couldn't tell her the truth; he didn't know what that might do to her.

"I'm sorry, Sonea," he said softly, "It doesn't seem to be weakening. Still, the fact that you could almost touch your power must be a good sign." His lie was rewarded by the happiness in her eyes and he felt terrible at deceiving her. He found he was still holding her hand and he turned it over, raising her palm to his lips.

"I will find an answer, Sonea," he promised, "I will make you whole again."

She looked at him trustingly, "I know you will, Akkarin, I know you will."

He glanced at the clock, Rothen had had over half an hour with his Head of Discipline, it was time to find out what had happened. He left Sonea to her search and returned to his meeting room. As he entered, Rothen looked up and smiled. _It looks like some good news at last_, Akkarin thought in relief.

"So, Rothen, what have you and Strehbin remembered?"

"It was all a long time ago, so it took a while to remember exactly what happened," Rothen started. "Strehbin remembered that when he was a young Novice, there was a magician called Temsin who was very interested in balefire and tried to work out how it was created. He'd been travelling in his youth and had come back to Kyralia with a foreign bride. She encouraged Temsin in his studies, despite the fact it was forbidden."

"Temsin carried out some experiments, and eventually caused an explosion which alerted the other Alchemists and he was caught. It turned out that his wife came from the border area between Elyne and Sachaka and had some magic of her own. She wasn't a magician like us, but was a witch and came from a family of witches. She was particularly interested in balefire and what it could do."

Akkarin interrupted Rothen's tale, "I've heard nothing of this!"

Rothen pulled a face and Strehbin looked down at the table, embarrassed, "No, you wouldn't have heard anything because it was decided this was a problem for the Alchemists and not the Guild. You have to understand that Alchemists who know about balefire carry a lot of shame. They didn't want to remind the rest of the Guild what they had done. But by not involving the whole Guild, any punishment meted out to Temsin would be limited. The Alchemists could not block powers for example."

"It was decided to confine Temsin to his rooms and force his wife to go back to Elyne. Temsin killed himself rather than suffer life-long imprisonment and his wife swore revenge on the Guild. Despite the views of some who thought she, too, should be confined, she was escorted to the border and as far as we know, she never returned." Rothen stopped speaking and drank some of his wine.

Akkarin thought over what he'd learned. At first, he couldn't see how this helped, but then, he began to realise that Temsin's wife must have known all about her husband's experiments and if she'd gone back to her family, information about balefire might have been passed on to others.

He glanced at the two Alchemists, "Thank you Rothen, Strehbin. That's very interesting and gives me an idea. I need to know as much about Temsin's wife as possible. Is there anyone here who may have known her? Do we have any information about these Elyne witches?"

"I'm not sure, High Lord, but I will make enquiries. Perhaps, Strehbin, you would release me from my duties for the moment so I can concentrate on this?" Rothen looked at his leader, who seemed very relieved that someone else was willing to take this further.

"Yes, of course, Rothen, if the High Lord agrees."

Akkarin nodded agreement. "I would be grateful if you would start work straight away, Rothen. I fear that Sonea is not improving and there are signs that the balefire might be gaining strength."

Once the two Alchemists had gone, Akkarin allowed himself a little hope. _Perhaps the answer will lie with the witches,_ he thought. _Perhaps that is where the Ichani found their knowledge of balefire. _


	25. A Bolt from the Blue

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**A Bolt from the Blue**

Akkarin sighed. It was not the brief sigh a person makes to show some mild emotion to another, rather it was a deep, gut-wrenching sigh and was born of his tiredness; a tiredness not of the physical kind which could be cured with a good night's sleep, but rather a tiredness of the spirit, and he knew of no cure for that.

It had been a very long few days since his meeting with the King. He found himself looking for signs of dissent and treachery within the Guild every time he was with a group of magicians. Every meeting, every casual conversation was poured over afterwards as he tried to identify who might be trying to push him out. There were obvious suspects like Charen and perhaps Balkan, but he was now so on edge that he saw conspiracies everywhere.

But that was not the worst. He had coped with the undercurrents of disapproval and dislike within the Guild for years. No, it was not that which caused his tiredness. It was Sonea.

Her enthusiasm to search his books had waned as it became obvious that there was nothing of interest to be found. She had gone with him to the Library storeroom one night and they had looked through some of the older books which dealt with Healing, but again, there was nothing. Each time they met with disappointment, Sonea's despair deepened and she became more and more withdrawn.

Very few people knew exactly what was wrong with her, only Rothen, Lorlen, Vinara and two or three trusted Healers, and Sonea was anxious that news of her inability to use her magic stayed within that small group. She refused to go out of the Residence during the day and it was only with the greatest difficulty that Akkarin had persuaded her to walk in the gardens. She would only come outside late at night, when everyone else had gone to bed.

Many of her Warrior students had called at the Residence and left messages, but she ignored them all.

"I can't meet them!" she had cried when he'd tried to encourage her, "Without magic, I am nothing. Nothing but a dwell!" and she had run up to her room and slammed the door.

Although she couldn't lock the door without magic, he'd respected her wishes and left her alone. She had reappeared some time later and apologised.

"I'm truly sorry, Akkarin," she'd sobbed as he held her close, "It's not your fault. I know you're doing everything you can, but I feel so…." She couldn't find the words to explain, but Akkarin, who remembered the magician from long ago and his distress at having his powers blocked, knew exactly what she meant.

He thought back to breakfast that morning. Sonea had come down a few minutes after Takan had started serving. She was dressed, as she had been since recovering from her physical injuries, in plain dark coloured trousers and shirt, her only ornament, the ruby and diamond jewel he had given her when they married. Nothing would persuade her to wear her Warrior's robes.

She looked pale, but composed as she sat down and took a warm roll and some butter. Takan served her tea but apart from thanking him, she said nothing. Akkarin sent a mental command to Takan to leave them alone and the servant silently withdrew.

Akkarin looked at his wife for a moment, she was concentrating on buttering her roll and didn't look at him. He wondered if she would ever look into his eyes again.

"How did you sleep, Sonea?" he asked quietly.

She shrugged, still not looking at him, "Not very well, as you know."

Akkarin watched as she finished spreading the butter and put her knife down. She stared at the roll as if she'd never seen one before and began to pull it apart and piling the pieces up on her plate.

"Sonea….." he started, but she suddenly pushed the plate away and stood up.

"Don't Akkarin! Don't say anything!" She walked over to the window, and stared out for a moment, then turned and sat down again. This time she looked directly at him.

"Just listen, don't say anything until I finish. I've been thinking about what's happened to me and there are things I have to say to you." She picked up her cup and swallowed the rest of her tea. "I have to face the fact that I may never be able to touch my power again. I know you're trying to find a cure, but I'm starting to think it's impossible. There's nothing in the books, Vinara doesn't know what to do and all you've been able to find are some vague stories about Elyne witches."

Sonea paused and looked down at her hands. She rubbed her forehead, then looked at him again. "So, you may find you have married a plain, ordinary wife, with no magic, with nothing to help you defeat your enemies, a wife who's unable to keep her promise to keep you alive." She saw him move and start to speak, and she held up her hand.

"No, let me finish. It's been difficult to start, and if you stop me now, I may lose my courage completely. As well as all that, bad as it is, the worst thing is you've married a dwell, a slum child with no wealth, no relatives, nothing. When I had magic, I could convince myself that I was like you, a member of the Guild, a graduate of the University, a strong magician, but now, I am nothing, just a dwell."

She stopped speaking and covered her face with her hands. He saw her shoulders shake as she tried to hold back her tears. He hesitated for a moment, then stood up and went to her, pulling her out of her seat and into his arms. She sobbed into his shoulder as if her heart was breaking and he didn't know what to say. But he had to try.

"Sonea, listen to me. I love Sonea the woman, not Sonea the magician. With or without magic, I will always love you. I will find a cure, and you will touch your magic again."

She raised her head and stared intently into his eyes. She wound her arms around his neck and drew his mouth down to hers. She kissed him deeply, and said so softly that he had to strain to hear her, "I love you very much, Akkarin, more than I think you know."

She withdrew from his embrace and raised her hand to his cheek. "Thank you for listening."

He had watched as she left the room without a backward glance. He heard her footsteps cross the hall and run up the stairs, then the distant slam of her door. He felt drained, as if he had spent the last hour fighting a powerful black magician, instead of simply listening to his wife.

Now, sitting in his study, he felt bone weary, his brain unable to think coherently about anything much. _I don't know what to do about her,_ he thought. _At least she doesn't know what I saw in her mind. She doesn't know the balefire is taking a deeper hold on her power._

He looked at the clock. It was almost time to leave for the Palace and another long and, no doubt, tedious meeting with the King and his Advisors. _I must not forget to watch out for Lord Dagran_, he remembered the King's warning. _I really could do without these extra problems until I've solved Sonea's!_

It was late when he returned to the Residence. Just as he'd feared, the meeting had lasted for hours and at the end, very little appeared to have been accomplished. He hadn't even had a chance for a quiet word with Merin, as Lord Dagran had glued himself to the King's side throughout.

As he came into the hall, Takan was waiting to take his cloak.

"Bring some wine and tartlets to the study, Takan," he said. "Where's Lady Sonea, in her room?"

Takan shook his head, "I haven't seen Lady Sonea for some time, Master. She asked for lunch in her room, but Viola found most of it untouched when she went to collect the tray."

Akkarin ran lightly upstairs and knocked on Sonea's door. There was no response and he used a little magic to search for signs of her, but found no trace. He knocked again, then opened the door.

The room was empty. Sitting on her bed, was a pile of clothing and other possessions and on top was a white envelope. Akkarin's heart lurched and he felt a heavy weight start to settle in his stomach. He went over and picked up the envelope. It was blank apart from his name written on the front. He opened it and took out the sheet inside. As he unfolded it, the ruby and diamond jewel fell out into his palm and he stared at it as if he hadn't seen it before.

The note was short. It repeated the things she had said at breakfast and ended with the lines:

'The only solution is to leave you, the Residence and the Guild. I have taken very little with me, only the things I need, the rest I leave behind with my old life. Please don't try to find me, a clean break is better for both of us. I love you, Sonea.'

At the end, almost as an afterthought, she had added, 'I have kept my marriage ring.'

He sat down on the bed and crushed the note in his hands. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Only his Sonea would say in one breath she was leaving him and there must be a clean break, and then in the next, say she loved him and was keeping his marriage ring as if she intended to return.

He stared unseeingly at the crumpled paper in his hand, then took it and smoothed it out so he could re-read it. He noticed her writing, usually so firm and bold, was hesitant and untidy; there were faint marks on the page as if she'd been crying when she wrote it. _I should never have left her this morning_, he thought sadly. _If only I had been here, this wouldn't have happened._

But even as the thought came into his mind, he knew it was not true. Once Sonea had decided something, very little could change her mind. If he'd been here today, she would have gone the very next time she was alone in the Residence.

He picked up the jewel. He had taken great care in choosing it, rubies to reflect her Discipline and diamonds to represent her bright, shining spirit. He slipped the chain over his head and hid the jewel beneath his robes.

_I will find a cure! _

_I will get her back!_


	26. A Small Kyralian Woman

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**A Small Kyralian Woman**

Cery's eyes narrowed as he stared at the man opposite, "What do you mean, gone?" he said suspiciously.

"She's left the Guild and I need to find her," the man's voice was calm and Cery could distinguish no emotion in the magician's demeanour.

Cery continued to stare at Akkarin, who stared back at him, his face an expressionless mask. _He looks the same as all those times before when he asked for help in finding people to kill, _the Thief thought. His sense of history repeating itself was reinforced by Akkarin's clothing; the shabby trousers and shirt, the greasy felt hat and the threadbare cloak he always wore.

"What happened to make her leave, Magician?" Cery asked. "The last time we had a conversation about Sonea, you told me how much you loved each other. Now, you say she has run away from you. What am I supposed to think?" There was an undercurrent of anger in the Thief's voice.

The magician was silent for a moment and Cery saw a flash of something in his eyes, but it passed so quickly, he was unable to read it. It could have been anger, or something else, perhaps more dangerous. It was a risky business, arguing with a magician.

"I kept my promise and you met Sonea alone. She told you all about her feelings, didn't she?"

Cery nodded, "She confirmed everything you said, Magician. But that was then. Now you come to me for help in finding your runaway wife. It sounds like a marriage gone sour to me."

"I'm very much aware of what it sounds like, Thief, but you will have to accept my word that Sonea's reasons have nothing to do with a 'sour marriage' as you put it." Akkarin looked directly into Cery's eyes, "Will you help me or not?"

It was Cery's turn to remain silent. He disliked magicians and was very uncomfortable with anything remotely associated with magic, yet he had formed a useful alliance with the High Lord over several years, which had proved vital to his own rise in the Thieves' Guild. They had worked well together and Akkarin had kept his promise not to use magic around Cery or his men. If Cery, even remotely, had cause to trust a magician, then it would be this one.

"Your word, Magician? You ask for my help, based entirely on your word alone? Well…" he paused for a moment, considering his next words carefully, "…You've always kept it before, so for the moment, I am willing to accept what you say, but if ever I find out….." He let his words trail away, as if unwilling to provide details of his threat, a tactic he'd found most useful in his business dealings.

For the first time, the magician's face relaxed and a smile briefly crossed his face. "Thank you, Thief," he said simply.

Akkarin went on to explain the circumstances of Sonea's disappearance. "I can't be exactly sure when she left the Residence as I was late home, but it could have been at any time between lunchtime and early evening. I have no idea when she might have gone, but her life before entering the Guild was here in Imardin, so I thought that might be where she would go, at least in the beginning. I must find her quickly, Thief, before she gets too far away from me."

For the first time, Cery could hear the emotion in Akkarin's voice. Whatever the cause of Sonea's decision to leave him, it was obvious that the magician still had strong feelings for her. _There's something about that girl which tangles a man's heart_, he thought, _I've only just got over her, myself!_

"Leave it to me, Magician," he said confidently, "If she's in Imardin, I'll find her! What do you want me to do when I locate her?"

"Do nothing! Send me a message and I will go to her. Under no circumstances should she know she's been found."

A broad smile spread over the Thief's face, "You're afraid she'll persuade me to hide her from you!" He looked at Akkarin, a hint of challenge in his gaze, "You're afraid she will choose me over you."

The High Lord sighed, "We've been through all this, Ceryni. Sonea is one of us now, she cannot go back to being what you call a 'normal' person leading a 'normal' life. The problem Sonea feels she has at the moment is a temporary one, but unfortunately, she's built it up in her mind until it feels overwhelming to her. That's why she has left the Guild, but it doesn't alter the fact that she is a magician, she belongs in the Guild and, more importantly, she's my wife and she belongs with me."

Cery's smile disappeared, "I know, Magician, Sonea has made her choice. I'll find her and send word to you straight away. Has Sonea taken much money with her?"

"She's taken very little, just a change of clothing and some odd and ends. She's kept her marriage ring, but has no money to speak of. I suppose she could sell the ring if necessary, but I don't think she'd do that."

The Thief thought for a moment, "With no money, her options are limited. That may make it easier to find her." He looked at Akkarin, "Leave it to me. I'll start the search immediately."

After his visitor left, Cery munched on a few cakes as he considered his first moves. Sonea had been very skilled at living in the city slums as a young girl, but that was years ago and she'd been living the soft life of an indulged Guild magician for so long, she might have difficulty in readjusting. _With no money, she'd need to find some sort of work, if only to provide food and shelter,_ he thought. _Or she might steal some!_

_She'd had the makings of a good pickpocket once, being small and skilled,_ he remembered. They had worked well as a team, he causing the distraction and she using her small hands to perfection to snatch a purse or something which could be sold. _But, after so long? Could she still do it? _He had his doubts.

The High Lord had asked Cery not to reveal Sonea's identity. He'd said that as far as anyone knew, his wife was still at home and he didn't want any speculation about her disappearance. That made Cery's task more difficult. He could only give her description to his contacts and as she was a typical Kyralian in terms of colouring, it was only her small size which made her different.

'_Find me a small, Kyralian woman' was not the most useful instruction_, he thought ruefully. His men were good, but not necessarily that good! He pondered this for a while before an idea struck him. _A picture, that's what I need…I could get Endyn to make a sketch! _Endyn was a recent young recruit to his growing band of men and was the butt of many jokes because he was always scribbling drawings and designs.

Cery was feeling happier. It may not be an easy task, but there were still some things he could do to make it less difficult. He asked Gol to send for Endyn and his senior men. He would instruct them and they would, in turn, instruct their own teams.

While he waited, he thought about the High Lord and his wife. He still couldn't quite reconcile the Sonea he grew up and fell in love with, with the wife of a nobly born, high-ranking magician. The last time he met her, he was surprised by her bearing and the precise excellence of her speech. He looked in vain for the carefree slum child he'd known so well, but she was gone. In her place was a poised noblewoman, completely happy in her skin and deeply in love with her husband. Only her face and dark sparkling eyes remained the same. Even her hair was different now.

He sighed. _It's no use trying to turn back the clock_, he thought. _We are both older now and so different from the children we once were. I have to move on. _He laughed suddenly, a brief laugh, tinged with bitterness. _Every time I meet that Magician and we have a conversation about his wife, I fall back into this irritating 'What might have been' mood! I have to get control of my thoughts and emotions and stop it, once and for all!_


	27. Conspiracy

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Conspiracy**

Akkarin moved silently through the secret passages. He was so familiar with them now, he could almost find his way without a light. His current globelight was barely visible, giving the merest hint of light, but he carried on swiftly and without hesitation. The only things he could hear were the regular beating of his heart and the silken rustle of his robes.

The passage took him out of the Residence. then passed under the gardens, towards the Magicians' Quarters. Despite its age, there was no sign of subsidence or damage, only a layer of dust, a few cobwebs and the occasional skeleton of some small animal which had wondered in and couldn't find its way out again. The air was fresh and cool, the result of several ventilation grills sited in cleverly concealed locations. Akkarin had never been able to find out who had originally built the tunnels he now regarded as his own personal property, but every time he used them, he gave silent thanks for the skill with which they had been constructed.

He reached a short flight of steps with a door at the top. This was the entrance to the sequence of passages which honeycombed the Magicians' Quarters. _If only they knew_, he thought smiling to himself a little, _Just how vulnerable their quarters are, they would never sleep soundly again! _Unbeknown to the inhabitants, every private dining room had a spy hole. Akkarin supposed the original designer of the passages assumed that the most interesting conversations took place over meals.

He carefully opened the door, and slipped inside. In his early days as High Lord, he had frequently visited these passages. His regular eavesdropping helped him judge the mood of Guild members and, of course, his ability to drop a relevant comment into a conversation or hint at a secret enhanced his reputation for being all-knowing. _It was almost like a drug,_ he thought_. It was difficult to stay away._

Recently, however, he had not ventured into these particular passages very much. _Not since Sonea came to live at the Residence, _he realised suddenly. _She provided me with sufficient "entertainment" in those early years to keep me busy. And of course, later, with a different sort of entertainment. I had no need of gossip to keep me amused when I had a warm and passionate lover at home._

Now, however, he had a very serious purpose for visiting the tunnels again. Word had reached him that Charen and Balkan were having a private meeting in Balkan's quarters and Akkarin dearly wanted to know what they were talking about.

As a Head of Discipline, Balkan had a much larger apartment than other magicians, located on the top floor of the building. As he lived alone, he had plenty of space available and had used some of it to make a large study and a separate meeting room. Luckily for Akkarin, Balkan's study had been created where the original dining room had been, complete with spy hole.

As he made his way to Balkan's quarters, Akkarin had a twinge of conscience about what he was going to do. He didn't usually spy on Heads of Discipline and Balkan, for all his digging away at things he was concerned about, had been a loyal member of the Inner Council. For a single second, Akkarin felt like turning back, but there was too much at stake, so he firmly quashed the feeling and continued up the stairs and along the passage until he reached his goal.

The spy hole had been cunningly hidden in part of a carved frieze, which decorated the former dinning room. The frieze was about a foot wide and ran along all four walls of the room. The High Lord knew that the spy hole was almost impossible to find amongst the carving and he had never known anyone mention such a thing. Again, he gave silent thanks to the mysterious creator who had had the foresight to provide it.

Akkarin settled himself against the wall and peered through the hole. It was constructed to give a fairly wide field of vision and he could see almost all of the main part of the room. Balkan had placed his desk and chair almost in a direct line with the hole and Akkarin could see him sitting and reading a document. There was no sign of any other person and the room was silent.

_If I have to do this often, I'll have to provide a seat_, he thought to himself, as he felt a few aches and pains in his body. Since Sonea's abrupt departure, he hadn't been sleeping well and it was beginning to take its toll. _Who would have thought that a woman could have caused the calm and dispassionate High Lord so much pain?_ he thought ruefully. _The only solution is to find her and find her quickly_. He shifted position slightly, to ease the ache. He couldn't risk using Healing in case Balkan detected it.

After what seemed like a long time, but in reality was only a few minutes, the High Lord heard distant voices, then the door to Balkan's study opened and his servant showed Charen into the room. Time was taken to settle Charen into a chair and provide him with refreshments. After a few pleasantries, the pair got down to business, their voices coming clearly to the hidden watcher.

"So, Charen, what's so urgent that you had to have this private meeting?" Akkarin had a clear view of Balkan's face and he didn't look too pleased.

"Yes, I'm sorry, Balkan, but I had a meeting with my cousin, Lord Dagran yesterday and he raised some important issues and asked me to speak to you." Charen had leaned forward, pitching his voice to express deep concern.

When Charen mentioned his cousin, an expression of distaste flashed across Balkan's face. _How interesting_, Akkarin thought. _It seems Balkan doesn't care for the man._

"What concerns does the King's Senior Advisor have which affects the Guild?"

"Lord Dagran is concerned that the High Lord is becoming too powerful an influence on the King. You know they were friends years ago, and my cousin feels that the King can too easily be persuaded to certain courses of action, especially by those he considers loyal friends."

Balkan gave a bark of laughter, "Is that what this is about? Dagran is concerned because Akkarin and Merin are friends? Does Dagran fear his own influence is under threat?"

Charen sat back and sipped his wine; clearly this was not the reaction he'd been hoping for.

"My cousin is concerned because both the King and the High Lord are young and are likely to in power for decades. My cousin fears that if the King's Advisors see that he is falling under the influence of the Guild and its High Lord, than some action would need to be taken to constrain further the Guild's role in the government of Kyralia. My cousin would not like this to happen so he expects the Guild to do something about it."

Balkan was silent as he looked at Charen through narrowed eyes for a moment. "Let's be honest, Charen. You and your cousin are putting out feelers to see if there are any in the Guild prepared to betray its High Lord. What does Dagran expect, a swift dagger in the night? Or is that too ordinary? What about a silent spell to steal Akkarin's soul?"

Charen laughed nervously, "I don't think death is what is needed to deal with the situation." He paused, as if searching for the right words. "My cousin feels that the High Lord sometimes takes risky actions and if any of these are found to have detrimental implications for the Guild or for Kyralia, then public disgrace and removal would be sufficient to deal with the situation."

"I see. May I ask why Dagran suggested you come to me, Charen? As far as I know, I don't have a reputation for being a traitor."

Charen lent forward, over the desk and looked Balkan directly in the eyes. "My cousin has the greatest respect for you, Balkan. He knows you were a candidate, like myself, for the High Lordship. With Akkarin's removal, the Guild would need a strong, firm leader who understands the important role the Guild plays in Kyralia, as well as the limitations of that role. I'm too old now to try again for the High Lordship, but you're not Balkan. My cousin feels you would be the ideal candidate and would be prepared to put the whole weight of the King's Council behind your candidacy."

"And does your cousin suggest exactly what I should do to bring about the disgrace of my High Lord?" Balkan's voice was calm and thoughtful. _Is he willing?_ Akkarin wondered. _Is he willing to conspire against me?_

"There was a meeting of the Guild's Inner Council recently which the King attended. My cousin doesn't know what was discussed but he got the impression from what little the King said, that Akkarin's position might have been under threat, but the King supported him. If you were to tell me what the meeting was about, my cousin could use the information to start undermining the High Lord's credibility among the King's Council which in turn could work on the King's feelings."

_So there we have it,_ Akkarin thought. _The seeds are already there and if Balkan reveals my involvement with black magic, all is lost…..._

Balkan said nothing, but continued to stare at his companion, a frown creasing his brow.

Finally, he spoke. "It's a big thing Dagran asks. As a member of the Inner Council, I have sworn oaths of secrecy and they are not broken easily. I have also sworn my loyalty to the High Lord, and, again, betraying that oath is not something to be lightly done."

"But the fact that you are considering my cousin's request suggests that you, too, have doubts," Charen said eagerly. "If not, you would have instantly rejected what I've had to say!"

"I need time to consider this, Charen. Tell Dagran that I will give him my answer in a few days. In the meantime, it is important that you do not contact any other Higher Magicians. Akkarin has an extremely effective network of informers and word of this must not get out. Akkarin must not be alerted to any hint of a conspiracy against him. Is that clear?"

Charen stood up, relief evident in his voice as he said, "I understand, Balkan. I will talk to my cousin immediately. You won't regret it, you know. You could be High Lord within weeks, think about that while you are making up your mind."

After he had gone, Akkarin watched Balkan as he sat at his desk, drinking that sweet white wine he preferred. His face was expressionless, so the watcher couldn't tell what action he was likely to take. _He didn't say yes and he didn't say no. Is he really thinking it over or is he playing for time? _For once, Akkarin couldn't predict what Balkan was likely to do and that worried him more than he liked.


	28. Hidden Character

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Hidden Character**

It was very quiet in the Residence, but then, as Lorlen remembered, it was always quiet, an oasis of calm in a constantly busy Guild. Takan looked after him with his usual efficiency, thus he had a large jug of fruit juice and a plateful of sweet cakes at his elbow, so that his wait for Akkarin to return would pass pleasantly.

Lorlen examined the room, trying to see if having a wife had changed Akkarin's ideas of furnishing and decorating his home. As far as he could tell, there were few, if any, changes; it all looked very much the same. _I wonder just how much influence Sonea really has_, he thought. _She is so much younger than Akkarin and has been brought up in entirely different circumstances, so I expect dealing with a large house like the Residence is alien to her._

He glanced at the clock. He'd arrived in good time for his appointment with the High Lord and was somewhat miffed to find him not at home. It was a particularly busy time in the Guild and Lorlen was conscious of the mound of paperwork waiting for him in his office. It wasn't like Akkarin to forget an appointment or fail to send a message if he was going to be late. _I wonder what's going on, _Lorlen thought.

He finished his glass of juice. It was wonderful, as usual. Takan had a knack with fruit juice and could make even the most ordinary of fruit taste extraordinarily good. No one knew how he did it and Takan, proud of his ability as a cook, would never give away any of his catering secrets.

The door opened and the High Lord appeared. Lorlen was immediately struck by the notion that Akkarin was worried about something. It wasn't anything in his expression, which was as calm as usual, but more an instinct, borne of their long friendship. The Administrator also noticed a band of what looked like dust around the hem of the usually immaculately turned out High Lord's robes.

"I'm sorry to be late, Lorlen," Akkarin said with a smile, "I hope Takan has taken good care of you."

Akkarin turned towards the door, where Takan was waiting and asked for a bottle of wine. Takan vanished and reappeared only moments later with a bottle of Anuran Dark. It seemed as if he was expecting the order and had a bottle or two to hand.

Akkarin sat down opposite his friend and held the bottle out towards him, waving it gently.

"It's a bit early for me, Akkarin," Lorlen said with a grin. "I don't know how you can drink that stuff at any hour of the day or night!"

"It's easy when you've had the practice!"

Akkarin took a couple of sips from his glass, then reached for a cake. "Now, remind me, what was this meeting about?"

Lorlen looked at him in astonishment, it wasn't like the highly efficient Akkarin to forget things. Akkarin noticed his reaction and laughed briefly.

"You'll have to forgive me if I'm not my usual self, I've a lot on my mind."

Lorlen immediately felt embarrassed. He'd forgotten just what a strain Sonea's illness was and how hard Akkarin was working to try to find a cure. It must have shown on his face, because Akkarin reached over and patted his arm.

"It's all right, Lorlen, I know you're busy too. Now what was it?"

For the next half an hour, they discussed the issue which had caused Lorlen to request the meeting, and he was pleased to find Akkarin had a solution to the problem. He sat back in his chair, satisfied, and drank some more of his juice.

"Now, tell me what's bothering you, Akkarin…. and don't tell me it's nothing," he added quickly as he saw his friend start to deny any problems. "I can tell there's something on your mind which is worrying you. Is it Sonea? Is she worse?"

There was silence and Lorlen could see that Akkarin was considering how much he should tell his friend.

"Akkarin, you can trust me," he said earnestly. "I know we had that difficult time when I didn't know what was really going on, but I'm still your friend. You can tell me anything, you know you can!"

A smile briefly crossed Akkarin's lips, "I know, Lorlen. I know I can." He looked down at his hands, then picked up his glass and drained its contents. "The last time I looked, the balefire had grown stronger, taking a deeper hold on Sonea's power and I'm afraid that we won't be able to stop it penetrating her entire magic source."

Lorlen made some movement and started to speak, but Akkarin held up his hand. "That's not all, Lorlen. Sonea has gone."

"Gone?" There was puzzlement in Lorlen's tone, "What do you mean, gone?"

"She has left the Residence and disappeared. I don't know where she is, but I'm doing all I can to try to find her."

Lorlen was shocked. Whatever he'd expected, it wasn't this. "What happened to drive her away?" He could hear the beginnings of suspicion in his tone and hoped that Akkarin didn't notice. But of course, he did!

"Nothing drove her away, as you put it." The High Lord's voice was still calm, but Lorlen could distinguish a thread of anger underlying it. "She's got it into her head that she'll never get her magic back and this will saddle me with a useless dwell for a wife." A bitter look crossed his face. "She thinks being married to a magic-less dwell will damage me and undermine my position in the Guild!"

Lorlen could see the pain in his friend's eyes and for a moment, had a glimpse of his inner torment.

"You really do love her, don't you?" he said slowly.

This time, Akkarin's anger was plain to hear, "Of course I do, how many times to I have to say so! Did you think I merely said it because I wanted to persuade a pretty young woman into my bed! That it was all a ruse to provide myself with a convenient bed partner for my own amusement!"

Lorlen said nothing, because he didn't know what to say without making things worse. He watched as the High Lord poured another glass of wine and drank it down without pausing. He actually felt rather guilty. _I did rather think the strongest love was all on Sonea's side, _he thought. _I've never really thought of Akkarin as a man with the capacity to feel deep passion, but it seems I was very wrong indeed!_

"Look, I'm very sorry to doubt you, Akkarin, but you'll have to admit that you've never had much to do with women, so it seems so out of character to find you suddenly deeply in love with a girl like Sonea." Lorlen looked intently at his friend. _Have I said the right thing?_

Lorlen was relieved when Akkarin nodded acknowledgement, "I can see why you might think that, but I've told you before, you don't really know me, Lorlen. You only know those parts of me I've shown you over the years. Don't ever think that what you know, is all there is."

Akkarin poured himself another glass of wine. "Are you sure you won't have one, Lorlen?" he asked, but Lorlen shook his head and pointedly poured some more fruit juice. He felt uncomfortable with so much wine being drunk so early in the day.

"I don't want word to get out that Sonea has gone. I'm hoping I'll find her quickly and bring her home before anyone needs to know officially." Akkarin stared intently at Lorlen. "You do understand, don't you?"

Is there anything I can do, Akkarin?" he asked.

"I have everything in place, so I'm sure it will only be a matter of time before I find her."

The High Lord sounded confident, but Lorlen wondered how much of it was for his benefit. Sonea was the sort of girl who, if she wanted to disappear, would do it very well indeed. _If she's gone back to the city slums, she may have friends who would hide her,_ he thought.

He put this point to Akkarin, who dismissed it quickly, but not before Lorlen had seen the worry in his eyes. After a few more minutes of conversation, he became aware that Akkarin was impatient for him to leave. He made his excuses and returned to his office and the paperwork.

After three hours of concentrated work, Lorlen flung the last document on the completed pile and breathed a huge sigh of relief. Now it was time for a glass of wine!

He collected a half-drunk bottle from a cupboard and poured a glassful. He sipped slowly. It was Anuran Dark, of course, as Akkarin had converted him to it several years ago. He half-smiled to himself. _What else of his have I copied? _He remembered years ago trying to replicate Akkarin's athletic, yet graceful, walk, but had found it impossible. _I'll just have to settle for copying his drinking habits!_

He thought about Akkarin's warning that there were parts of his character that Lorlen didn't know. _Is that really true?_ he thought. _Is there a completely different character living inside the black robes? Just how much of the public face of the High Lord is really Akkarin and how much an image he's cultivated?_

Lorlen felt the beginnings of a headache and channelled a little Healing to sort it out. He was tired after his marathon session with the documents and didn't really feel like trying to work out exactly what his friend was really like.

"I'll think about it later," he said out loud. "It's time to have a good supper and a natter in the Night Room. Let's go and see what the latest gossip is!"


	29. The Elyne Witch

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**The Elyne Witch**

It had been almost a week since he had visited Cery, but no word on Sonea's whereabouts had come from the Thief. It was tempting to go back to the city to confront Cery and demand that he find her, but Akkarin knew that was neither wise nor useful. _Cery has a network of informants, he will find her, it's only a matter of time_, he told himself.

Akkarin had used one of his own trusted informants to ask around, but he, too, had found no trace of his wife. He felt a bitter frustration that with all his power, wealth and influence, he was unable to find out where Sonea had gone, but must rely on the efforts of others. He had once been well known for his patience, but that, like so much else these days, had deserted him, just when he needed it most.

He gazed into the fire, his thoughts wandering. He treasured the few moments he had alone, when he could just sit calmly and let his thoughts and emotions simply be. But these moments were few and far between. He could not give up on his role as High Lord, simply to indulge his own personal concerns.

So far, he had been able to keep the fact of Sonea's disappearance a secret, known only to a very few trusted people. Vinara, of course, had to know because she was in daily contact with her patient; Lorlen, he had told himself, and Takan and Viola, of course, but no one else in the Guild knew. _It's lucky that she'd been keeping away from everyone since the battle,_ he thought. _That makes things so much easier._

However, he was expecting Rothen shortly to report on his progress with seeking out any amongst the Alchemists who might know something about balefire, or remember Temsin and his wife; and he would have to tell him about Sonea. _Rothen is bound to ask to see her_, he realised. _I can't put him off with excuses, he'll know something is wrong._

He heard faint noises from the hall and guessed that Rothen had arrived. There was a soft tap at his door and Taken came in.

"Lord Rothen awaits, Master."

"Show him in and bring refreshments, Takan."

Akkarin looked closely at his visitor. Rothen was not an old man by any means, but he was well into late middle age. Like all magicians, he had a much younger appearance than his age suggested, but in the last few months, he had begun to look tired, and that aged him. The High Lord noticed there were many more silver threads amongst the pale gold of his hair and deep lines had appeared around his eyes, nose and mouth.

Rothen sat down and accepted a glass of wine and a plate of savouries. He looked over at the High Lord and smiled.

"Thank you, High Lord, just what I needed," and he popped a tartlet into his mouth and started chewing.

Akkarin sipped his wine and waited until Rothen had eaten his savoury before asking, "Have you made any progress?"

"Yes, I have, much to my surprise," Rothen replied cheerfully. "I managed to find one of the older Alchemists who remembered Temsin and his wife. The woman's name was Krysterne, it seems, and she created rather a stir when she arrived at the Guild. She was very eccentric, even by Guild standards, so she made quite an impression."

"Eccentric? How?" Akkarin sounded intrigued.

"Old Rheda, my informant, says she wore strange, flowing clothes in striking colours and had a number of unusual pets, which she insisted on keeping in her apartment. One of them was large, black bird which used to ride on her shoulders sometimes." Rothen smiled as he remembered Rheda's comic description of tall, willowy Kyrsterne swaying down a corridor with the enormous bird chattering in her ear.

"Rheda particularly remembers her hair," he continued, "It was very long and thick, almost down to her knees and was a dark red colour. She had never seen anything like it before. When Krysterne first arrived, she used to wear it loose, so from a distance it looked like a cloak. Then someone had a word with her and afterwards she usually wore it in a long plait."

"Does Rheda know what happened to her?"

"No, after Temsin killed himself, Rheda remembers Krysterne screaming hysterically and making threats at some sort of meeting, but then she just disappeared and no one would say anything about where she'd gone. But we know, she was sent back to Elyne, to her family. It's just possible she's still alive. I would like your permission to go to Elyne and try to find her." Rothen looked earnestly at Akkarin. "I'm a good choice to send, I know something about balefire, I can recognise it when I see even small traces of it. I have no ties here, so leaving Kyralia would not be a problem for me. More importantly, perhaps, I feel responsible for Sonea, for her being here, in the Guild, and I want to do something positive to help her."

Akkarin said nothing for a moment, but stared at Rothen, considering his request. He wasn't surprised by it, Rothen had always had a romantic streak and going off on a journey to seek a cure for his favourite former novice was the sort of thing he would want to do.

"Forgive me, Rothen, but you are not known for your diplomatic skills," Akkarin said with a smile. "We know little about the Elyne witches and they may not be too pleased to find a Guild magician calling on them, especially one as desperate as you to find answers."

Rothen frowned, "I don't know what you mean, Akkarin. I can be the soul of diplomacy, just ask Dannyl. I coped with all his problems as a novice, and since, with no trouble at all."

"You are certainly an easy-going magician most of the time, but when your feelings and emotions are engaged, you've been known to lose your temper very easily. Where Sonea is concerned, your emotions are fully engaged, Rothen. I'm not sure you would be able to act with discretion in this case." Akkarin sipped his wine and stared at the Alchemist. He watched a range of emotions cross his face as Rothen acknowledged the truth of the High Lord's words.

"If not me, who else would you send?" he asked eventually. "You've kept the secret of Sonea's sickness very well. There aren't any others – you can't send Vinara or Lorlen or go yourself – who else is there but me?"

Akkarin nodded, acknowledging the truth of Rothen's words, but he was still hesitant. How would Sonea react if something happened to Rothen? She would blame her husband for letting him go on a dangerous journey. _But Sonea's not here,_ his mind reminded him. _And Rothen is right, there is no one else!_

As the High Lord remained silent, Rothen eagerly went on, "I've thought about this carefully. I can go as a scholar. The Elyne witches are known to use alchemy so what better reason for a Guild Alchemist to visit them? I can say I'm researching different sorts of magic and alchemy for a book. I know what I'm talking about with regard to alchemy, they won't suspect anything."

_There is no other choice,_ Akkarin thought. _I must trust Rothen to cope with any problems._

"You're right, Rothen. You are the ideal choice," Akkarin's voice was firm. "I will give you an official document stating you have leave of absence from the Guild for your research and I'll alert our Ambassador to provide some assistance when you get to Elyne. That should smooth the way at the start, but once you set off for the border regions, you will be on your own."

"Thank you, High Lord," Rothen said formally. "I appreciate your help. I know I can do it. Now, can I see Sonea?"

Akkarin sighed, "I'm sorry, but Sonea is not here. She's taken it into her head that she won't get her magic back so she has left the Guild. I've got people searching for her, but at the moment I'm not sure where she's gone."

Rothen looked grim, "How long has she been missing?"

"Almost a week," Akkarin said.

"When did you plan on telling me?" There was anger in Rothen's voice and he was frowning.

"I have not told anyone apart from one or two people, Rothen. It's not something I want bandied about the Guild, so I'd appreciate if you kept this information to yourself. I am doing all I can to find her and when I do, I shall bring her back to the Residence."

Akkarin was disappointed, but not surprised, to see suspicion fill Rothen's eyes.

"Look, Rothen, I don't like this any more than you do, but you know Sonea. She's a woman of strong purpose and once she got it into her head that her magic was gone forever, she wanted to get as far away from magicians as possible. She didn't tell me or anyone else what she intended to do; I just came home one day and found a note. I've been searching for her ever since."

Rothen's expression softened as he listened to Akkarin's impassioned words. He could see signs of the strain the High Lord was under and felt guilty that he had added to his burden.

"I'm sorry, Akkarin. My reaction was unfair, I know how much you care for her, it was just a shock that's all. I know you're doing all you can. The best thing I can do is set off for Elyne as soon as possible. By the time I return, you will have found her and we can all start working on a cure."

Rothen left soon afterwards, and Akkarin was relieved to see him go. He was never completely sure how the Alchemist would react, where Sonea was concerned. He didn't doubt that Rothen's heart was in the right place, but that knowledge didn't make handling him any easier.

He poured another glass of Anuran Dark and sat back in his chair, his eyes once again on the dancing flames. He wondered what Sonea was doing at that moment and what she was thinking. He felt sure she was somewhere safe. _I would feel it, if something happened to her,_ he thought. _The bond between us is too strong to simply fade away._


	30. The Search Continues

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

The Search Continues

He stared down at the note. He'd read it several times, but no matter how many times he read it, the contents remained the same.

'The package you lost is nowhere to be found within the city.'

The note was signed with the drawing of a small rodent. Akkarin flung it down on his desk. Over two weeks of searching by Cery's best men had produced nothing. He was no nearer to finding his wife than he had been the day she disappeared and he had no idea what to do next.

He was restless, so he got up and went out into the hall. _Perhaps there was something I missed in her room_, he thought and an image of clutching at straws flashed though his mind, but he ignored it. He went up the stairs and along the corridor until he reached Sonea's room. He had set a magical lock on it, so that no one could disturb it and it was only a matter of seconds to unlock it and step inside. He locked the door behind him and stood just inside the room, looking carefully around to see if something, anything, seemed out of place.

Her books were neatly arranged in a bookcase next to her writing table. Her pen tray and ink bottles were placed in the right-hand corner and the blotting pad sat in the opposite corner; the rest of the writing surface was bare. He stepped over and opened the drawers, there were only a few items in each, some broken pens, a few notes on scraps of paper and a broken set of beads. He quickly scanned the notes, but they were all to do with her Guild work, there was nothing personal amongst them. There was a small box right at the back of one of the drawers and for a moment, he felt sure it must contain an important clue, but when he opened it, he found only a few coins and assorted buttons, pins and other odds and ends.

He picked up each book and flipped through the pages to see if anything fell out, but apart from one or two bookmarks, there was nothing between the pages. He replaced them and turned to face the room. Viola had cleared away all the things Sonea had left on her bed, putting them back in the cupboards and wardrobes. The room was tidy and, in his eyes, completely lifeless. When Sonea occupied it, there were usually all sorts of things lying on the bed, on the bookcases and on the tables, it felt alive. Now it looked like a room which no one used, it could have been an exhibit in a museum.

Akkarin went over to the largest wardrobe and opened the doors. All her robes were neatly hanging up, along with her red cloak and the red shirt and trousers she had worn to fight the Ichani. He checked every pocket but found nothing. There was nothing stuffed in her shoes and boots, either.

_Why am I doing this again?_ he asked himself. _I've looked at everything several times and found nothing! Why should now be any different?_

But he didn't stop. He moved on to the next wardrobe, which contained all Sonea's dresses for special occasions. Hanging on the far end of the rail, covered in a soft cotton cover, was the spectacular marriage dress she had surprised him with. He opened the cover, and brushed his hands over the soft, pale silk. He could see her clearly in his mind, the way she'd looked, walking alone down the aisle towards him, faint colour in her cheeks and a ghost of a smile on her lips.

Suddenly, he bundled the dress back into its cover and slammed the door shut. He didn't want to go down that road, he had to think what should be the next move in his search for Sonea. _There's no time to be sentimental!_

He opened the cupboards and drawers, sorting through underwear and sleeping garments, and looked over every piece of furniture in the room. Like every time before, he found nothing. He went into the small washing room which opened off the bedchamber. She had left a lot of her soaps and creams behind. He was unfamiliar with most of it, so he couldn't tell exactly what she had taken, but he guessed it wasn't much.

As far as he could tell, all Sonea had taken with her were two sets of clothing, including the shabby set she wore on her clandestine visits to the city when they were hunting Ichani, two pairs of shoes, a cloak and a small cloth bag which he supposed carried some smaller essentials. She had left all her jewellery and money behind. A box in the drawer of her bedside table was heavy with gold and silver coins and while she may have taken a handful, everything else had been left in her room.

He sat on the bed and tried to think what might have been in her mind when she left the Residence. She must have known he would look for her, so perhaps that was why there was no trace of her in the city. She would have guessed that would be the first place he'd have looked. _So where would she have gone? She would need to get money to buy food and shelter. She could steal it or she could try to find work._

He tried to think what sort of work Sonea might be able to find. There was not much call for Warrior skills outside the Guild. He realised that he knew little about her life before she became a novice, so he had no idea if she had worked at anything apart from stealing. _She might be able to work as a servant_, he thought. She was familiar with the sort of things Viola did and, to some extent, what Takan did, but whether or not she could do the actual work to the standards required of an employee he didn't know.

_Where might she work as a servant?_ he wondered. There would be risks in joining a large household, especially where the family might be part of one of the Houses. She had met many representatives of the Houses, since becoming the High Lord's wife, so Akkarin felt she would stay away from anywhere she might be recognised.

_So, what did that leave? _Akkarin considered a number of possibilities carefully. She might find work in a bol house, or a lodging house, or an inn. There were a number of places where servants were always in demand. _Yes_, he thought, _These sound like definite possibilities. And, of course, the further down the social scale she went, the less likely she would meet anyone she knew or who knew her. She wouldn't need a high level of skill to find work in these sorts of places either._

He went over to Sonea's writing table and pulled a sheet of paper from a drawer. He scribbled a note for Cery, suggesting he redirect his search to appropriate establishments where Sonea might have looked for work, perhaps on the outskirts of the city or a little way into the countryside.

He was just rereading his note, to see if he needed to add anything when he felt a tug from a blood gem. It was Lorlen, who had just slipped on the ring. Akkarin was suddenly aware of a conversation the Administrator was having, and listened carefully.

"….so I wondered, Lorlen, if you'd had any more thoughts about what Akkarin told us about his association with the Ichani?"

It was Balkan and Lorlen must have realised that he was about to dig a little deeper into the High Lord's past and wanted to warn him.

"_It all sounded straight-forward to me, Balkan. Why?" _Lorlen's voice sounded calm, with a faint suggestion of boredom with the subject, but Akkarin could feel his tension through the link.

Balkan gave a bark of laughter_, "I'd have thought you would have been a bit more curious than that, Administrator! It's not every day that one's High Lord admits to being kept a prisoner for a number of years by a group of dangerous black magicians. I think there's a lot that Akkarin hasn't shared with us and I intend to find out what it is."_

"_Well, the King accepted it, Balkan. If there had been any doubt, King Merin would not have supported the High Lord and there would have been a formal Hearing."_

"_Yes, well, there's some concern in the King's Council, or so I hear." _ Balkan's voice had dropped and Akkarin had some difficulty hearing it clearly.

"_What does the King's Council know of Guild business, Balkan?"_ Lorlen asked sharply, _"The workings of the Inner Council are confidential and we were specifically asked not to discuss anything from this meeting outside of the room. Has someone mentioned something they shouldn't have?"_

Balkan's voice dropped even further, _"Perhaps some hint was dropped, I don't know, but in my experience a secret shared with more than one person doesn't remain a secret for very long! Well, no matter, Lorlen. I won't keep you, you're a busy man, but if you have any concerns about this, come and see me."_

There was silence, then Lorlen sent, _Akkarin, did you hear that?_

Yes Lorlen.

Does it mean anything to you?

Perhaps. Tell me, have you seen Charen and Balkan together recently?

No, but I heard Charen tell someone he had a meeting with Balkan for later today. I couldn't see who it was, they were in the Night Room corner, almost hidden behind some large plant.

Thank you, Lorlen. I'll deal with it.

Akkarin felt Lorlen remove the ring and the link dissolve. He considered what he'd learned. Since he had spied on Balkan and Charen, Akkarin had not heard anything further and was beginning to think that perhaps Balkan had decided not to give Charen the information he sought. But now…the fact that he had raised the subject with Lorlen was a worrying sign.

Is Balkan seeking to build a conspiracy against me? he wondered. Does he see Lorlen as a potential ally? Who else has he spoken to?


	31. Conversations over Dinner

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

Conversations over Dinner

Much to Akkarin's intense frustration, Balkan was not going to meet Charen in his rooms. The High Lord had made it his business to keep an eye on the Warriors' Leader during the day, hoping that he would take himself off to his quarters, but instead, Balkan had been in one public place after another, taking books from the Library, overseeing practice sessions in the Arena and finally lecturing to some final year novices.

Now, it was close to the time for an evening meal and it looked as if Balkan was on his way to the food hall. Akkarin followed at a distance, realising it was going to be awkward. A High Lord did not eat with other magicians, he always ate privately at the Residence, or formally, on special occasions, with selected people. It wasn't as if he could blend in with the others, after all. He didn't know what he was going to do, but luck was with him, because he spotted Lorlen a few yards ahead of him and sent him a call.

Lorlen turned and waited until Akkarin caught up with him.

"Good evening, High Lord," Lorlen said formally. "What can I do for you?"

"I need an excuse to eat in the food hall tonight. Can you give me one?"

Lorlen's mouth fell open in surprise. "Eat in the food hall? When you have all of Takan's skills to delight your taste buds?" He looked at his old friend as if he were joking.

"There's no time to explain, Lorlen. Just find me a reason and quickly!"

Lorlen thought for a moment, a frown creasing his brow, then his faced cleared, "I've got it! Several novices have complained about the food in recent weeks. They said it was not well cooked and the portions were rather small. I suppose you could see for yourself. Will you join me at my table, High Lord?" and he gave a mocking bow.

"Thank you, Administrator," Akkarin replied, equally mockingly, and they began walking towards the food hall. "Do you have a specific table, or can you sit anywhere?"

Lorlen didn't try to hide his puzzlement at Akkarin's unusual request. "Well, there's no special table as such, but I do try to sit at one in particular, that's why I eat early when I can."

By this time, they had entered the hall and Akkarin glanced quickly around. He couldn't see Balkan at first, then he spotted him at an out-of-the-way table at the back of the room. He was alone, but he had yet to collect his food, so it looked as if he was waiting for someone. Akkarin waved his hand in Balkan's general direction and said to Lorlen, "What about over there? It looks a suitable place and there are plenty of empty tables."

As they were making their way to a table, Akkarin spoke to several novices, asking about the food and whether or not they were satisfied with the quality. From the surprised reactions, it seemed as if the novices couldn't believe their luck that, firstly the High Lord actually spoke to them and secondly, that he was interested in their opinions about the food. As he passed, a buzz of conversation broke out behind him and Lorlen grinned at him as they finally reached an appropriate table.

"That will do wonders for your standing as far as the novices are concerned. They are used to having words with the High Lord only when they have committed a serious offence!"

Akkarin selected a seat which put his back to a wall and from where he could see Balkan's profile. They were close, but not too close and he hoped that Balkan would not be suspicious.

A server rushed over, pale faced and obviously worried at the High Lord's appearance in the food hall. Akkarin quizzed him about the novices' complaints and the food served in general. After a few minutes, the server rushed away to bring the dishes selected from what was on offer.

Lorlen was chatting away, but the High Lord wasn't listening. He was concentrating on observing Balkan's table and was soon rewarded by the sight of Charen carrying a tray of food slowly making his way over to where Balkan was sitting.

_Clever_, he thought. _No one will think anything of two magicians sharing a table, whereas if Charen was observed regularly visiting Balkan's quarters, that might cause some gossip._

Akkarin watched carefully, his senses alert for signs of magic, but it seemed as if the two magicians were going to talk openly and not bother with a spell to prevent their conversations being overheard. _Good_, he thought. There was some magic he had learned from the black magicians which allowed him to overhear conversations from some distance away and he had been counting on Balkan not to ward his table.

He suddenly noticed that Lorlen had stopped talking and was looking at him expectantly. He pulled a face, "Sorry, Lorlen. I wasn't listening. I need to concentrate for a few minutes, but I would be grateful if you would continued to chat in case anyone is watching."

Their food arrived and Lorlen continued to make small talk. Akkarin remembered to nod occasionally while his senses were concentrating on trying to hear Balkan. He and Charen were halfway through their meal and so far, their conversation had been about nothing in particular. Then, as Balkan poured another glass of fruit juice, Charen asked the question.

"Have you decided what to do, Balkan?"

Balkan gave a quick glance round, then moved his head closer to Charen. Akkarin had to strain to hear him, as he replied, "I have given it much thought and it seems there is merit in what your cousin has to say."

Although Akkarin couldn't see Charen's face, he could hear the smile in his voice. "You won't regret this, Balkan. Now, what was that meeting all about?"

"The High Lord has been researching the history of the Guild and has uncovered some ancient material containing information which has been forgotten for centuries. He presented some of this to the meeting. That was what all the discussions were about."

This time, puzzlement coloured Charen's voice, "Why should ancient history be so secret? Why wouldn't the King tell Lord Dagran if that was all it was?"

"Because the material was all to do with the High Lord's power. Akkarin has found things which change the role of the High Lord quite dramatically. The King was supportive of this, it seems."

"I see, then that ….."

Akkarin's grasp on his magic faltered as a noisy group of magicians came over to his table and he was forced to give them his attention. They were merely interested in giving their opinions about the food, but as that was his ostensible reason for being in the food hall, he had to listen. By the time he had listened to them and answered their questions, Balkan and his dining companion had left.

_Damn,_ he thought angrily, _What more did they say? What is Balkan going to do next?_ He was filled with frustration at not being able to hear the rest of the conversation. He still didn't know for certain if Balkan was joining a conspiracy against him. He needed to get away and think it over.

He turned to Lorlen, "Thank you for giving me a reason for being here. It was very important that I should be here tonight and I couldn't have done it so easily without you."

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Lorlen asked. "If it concerns the Guild, I should be told, I am the Administrator, after all."

Akkarin could sense that Lorlen was a little irritated at being kept in the dark, but he really didn't have much to tell him. _It's better not to even try_, he thought.

He shook his head, "It's nothing, Lorlen. I know you have enough to worry about, without my telling you every little thing which gives me some small concern."

Lorlen stared at him for a moment, but as it became obvious that Akkarin would not say more, he smiled crookedly. "You always were good at keeping secrets, Akkarin!"

Lorlen went off to his office and the ever-present paperwork, while Akkarin walked slowly back to the Residence. As he walked through the gardens, he remembered the last time he'd been here with Sonea. It had been almost midnight and the gardens were silent and still. The Eye was fully open and its beams created silver frosting on some of the flowers and bushes. Sonea was deep in thought, so he walked beside her in silence. She made her way to the rose bed, one of her favourite spots, and sat on a bench. He sat beside her and took her unresisting hand. They stayed like that for a while, until he felt her shiver, then she stood up.

"I'm a little cold, Akkarin, I think I'll go in."

She'd looked at him briefly as she pulled her cloak more closely around herself. On impulse, she turned from him and darted over to the rose bed. She reached in and picked a tiny rosebud from one of the bushes. It was the palest of pinks, its leaves dark green with an edge of silver. She looked at it in her fingers for a moment, then came back to his side. She reached up and kissed him, pressing the rose into his hand, before running lightly away.

He watched her go, a dark shadow, occasionally lit by one of the Eye's beams. He could smell a faint trace of perfume from the rosebud and he looked at it lying in his hand, so perfect, and so fragile, just like Sonea.

As he got to this point in his memories, Akkarin found himself passing the rose bed. The roses on the bush where Sonea had picked the bud, had all bloomed now, their heads heavy with petals and beginning to droop as the petals slowly began to drift away. Soon they would all be gone, and the bush would once again be simply a plain dark green bush.

Akkarin was filled with an intense longing to see Sonea sitting on her favourite bench, smiling and happy as she'd been in the first days of their marriage. He wondered where she was and what she was doing. He wondered if she was thinking of him. Before he could stop it, a thought popped into his head. _Will I ever see her again?_

Once back in the Residence, he sent Takan away and shut himself in his library. There was a plentiful supply of Anuran Dark, so he settled down for some quiet reflection on the conversation he had heard.

Although he didn't hear the end of the discussion, he was almost certain that Balkan had not completely decided to betray him. _He didn't mention the black magic,_ he thought. _He only mentioned the documents, not what the information meant_. _Perhaps Balkan is playing a deep game._


	32. Decisions, Decisions

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Decisions, Decisions**

Cery absent-mindedly reached for another fruit tart and crammed it into his mouth. The sudden burst of sweet flavours helped him think, or so he told himself. Clowda, his latest lover, kept telling him not to eat so many, warning him about getting fat, but Cery found it too hard to give up his cakes. And, he had a lot to think about this evening.

It had been some time since Akkarin had sent him a message, asking for the search for Sonea to be widened. Cery had found it rather difficult, as his influence did not spread very far outside the city, but he'd called in a few favours and had managed it in the end. He tended to agree with the High Lord that Sonea would probably realise the city would be the place everyone would assume she'd go, so it was sensible to widen the search.

For a long while, it seemed the search outside the city would be as unsuccessful as the one inside it. Then, earlier today, one of Cery's most tenacious informants had reported back. He had found a woman who fitted Sonea's description working in an inn, on one of the roads leading to the city. Obeying his orders, he had not made any effort to contact her, but had simply observed what was going on.

When Cery asked the key question, the man had hesitated. He wasn't completely sure it was Sonea, but he thought it might be. He'd pulled a crumpled drawing out of his pocket and waved it at Cery. "She has a similar face," he'd said. "And she's not very tall."

Cery had dismissed him with a heavy purse and settled down to think. There had been several false sightings over the weeks. It was, as he'd thought after his meeting with Akkarin, difficult to find someone who was a typical Kyralian in terms of colouring and facial characteristics. But his man had seemed reasonably positive. _I'll have to go and have a look, _he thought. _At least I know her well and would recognise her despite any disguise she might wear._

He knew the inn vaguely. It was a modest place whose customers tended to be ordinary working people rather than wealthy travellers. It provided accommodation for people on their way to and from the regular markets held in Imardin, and was likely to be fairly busy. He couldn't risk staying there, but he could find somewhere nearby to conceal himself and try to catch a good look at the woman.

His mind made up, Cery took another cake and resumed chewing. If it turned out to be Sonea, then he would have to make his mind up about something else. He'd promised to let Akkarin know the moment Sonea was found and at the time, he'd thought it was the best thing to do. But now….._but now_, he wondered, _Did Akkarin tell me the truth about why she left? What if it was the High Lord himself who had driven her away? What if there was trouble in the marriage and running away was her only answer?_

Cery sighed and glanced at the remaining cakes. His hand hovered over the plate for a moment, then he made his choice and a pretty fruit tart, topped with cream, disappeared into his mouth. He felt uneasy. It was a risky business double-crossing a magician, especially one as powerful as the High Lord. _Who knows what trouble he could cause me,_ he thought. _And that's if he didn't kill me first! _Yet Sonea had been a dwell, like him. They had run barefoot together through the city, stealing and laughing and generally having a good time. _There must be loyalty still for a fellow-dwell, even if she's turned into a noble magician!_

There was a commotion outside his door, and Cery knew that Clowda had arrived. That put an end to his thinking time, but heralded the beginning of perhaps a more interesting time. He brushed the crumbs off his shirt and by the time Clowda had entered the room like a small whirlwind, Cery was ready to turn his mind to other, happier things.

Early the following morning, Cery quietly left his lodgings without disturbing anyone. He couldn't even afford to take Gol with him, no one must know what he was doing or where he was going. He still hadn't made up his mind what to do about the High Lord, and the fewer people who learned about Sonea, if it was Sonea, the better.

He reached the inn by mid-morning and as he had suspected, it was a hive of activity. There were several carts filled with goods standing in the yard and he could hear horses stamping their feet in the stables. Lots of people were coming and going, in and out of the building, across the yard and back again. Cery found a good vantage point and settled down to wait until the woman made an appearance. His informant had told him that she was a frequent visitor to the well, which stood in one corner of the yard.

He didn't have long to wait. It must have been about fifteen minutes after he arrived that the back door of the inn opened and a woman carrying two buckets came out. Cery craned his neck to get a better view, but he couldn't see her all that clearly. She certainly was smaller than the average Kyralian, but he couldn't see her hair or face. She was wearing a voluminous dress in a somewhat faded dark green colour, and a large, rather grubby apron. Her hair was pushed out of sight under a yellowish mobcap. He couldn't make out her features because she was looking down at the ground as she wearily made her way to the well.

He watched as she wound down the bucket to collect the water. It must have been a deep well, because it took her several minutes of winding down, and then winding up to obtain the water. She repeated the process to fill the second bucket, then she turned and walked back to the building. As she turned, Cery caught a glimpse of her face and he thought it could be Sonea, but he still wasn't sure. He would have to get closer.

He took some time finding a new position, but in the end he was sure it would be worth it. He was much closer to the yard now, and was sure that when the woman next appeared, he would be able to see her clearly. This time, the wait was much longer and he was almost falling asleep when the door opened and she came out. He straightened in his hiding place and concentrated on the woman's face, which he could now see quite clearly. She looked tired and there was a frown of concentration on her face, but he was almost sure it was Sonea. He watched her go to the well and repeat the earlier procedure. Now he was closer, he could see what an effort it took her to raise the buckets and then carry them. She turned back towards the inn, and as she did so, she glanced ahead of her, directly into Cery's eyes.

He saw her face grow white and the buckets dropped from her hands, spilling their contents on the yard. At that moment, he knew it was Sonea and that she had recognised him. She stared at him in horror then whirled around and ran for the building. He started to go after her, but then noticed one or two burly men, alerted by the noise of the dropped buckets and then the running figure of the woman, start to move towards him, and thought better of it. They didn't look in the mood for long, complicated explanations. He eased himself out of his hiding place and disappeared as fast as he could before anyone could catch up to him and demand to know what was going on.

He found a bol house far enough away from the inn to avoid pursuit and ordered a drink. At least he had no doubts now, it was Sonea and she was frightened. More than ever, now, he was reluctant to let Akkarin know she had been found. _What I need to do is talk to her,_ he thought, _Find out exactly what she's doing and why!_

He could hear the sound of meat sizzling somewhere and delicious smell was gradually filling the room. He realised that he was rather hungry, and decided to have a meal and another drink, before going back to see Sonea. The hot meat was good, so he had a second helping and finished off his meal with a couple of sweet tartlets. Feeling much better able to face Sonea, he paid his bill and set off for the inn.

But when he got there, he found he was too late. There was a lot of shouting and general hubbub coming from the kitchen. The kitchen maid had run off right in the middle of getting the mid-day meal ready and the cook was in a mood to give her several good clouts when she dared to show her face in the inn again. Cery cursed under his breath. _Why oh why did I have to have two lots of food and a double helping of tarts instead of finding Sonea straight away!_

On his way back to Imardin, Cery ran through several alternative courses of action, none of which sounded very good to him. He could expect another visit from Akkarin sometime soon and he wasn't sure yet what to tell him. Now that Sonea was alerted to the fact that he was looking for her, she would choose a better sanctuary than a busy inn next time. All of Cery's good work in searching for her and eventually tracking her down had been undone in a heartbeat and he didn't know if he would be as lucky a second time. One thing he couldn't get out of his mind, though, the tired, worn-out expression on the face of his old friend and the fear which crossed it when she saw him.


	33. Truth and Lies

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Truth and Lies**

Her body arched beneath him and he looked deeply into her eyes, a feeling of drowning in their dark depths came over him as he felt her arms tighten around his body. He placed soft kisses along her jaw line and down her neck, lingering on the pulse beating in her throat. He could hear her murmuring softly, but couldn't distinguish any words. Their bodies moved together and the familiar feelings of pleasure began to ripple though him as their mouths joined and their hands traced tingling patterns on their skin.

His eyes opened suddenly, and all around him was dark. He could feel his blood pulse through his veins in time with the pounding of his heart. He was drenched in sweat. The dream, again! That terrible dream of making love to Sonea which never lasted, so that he was plunged instantly from joy to despair, with no relief for his emotions. He lay quietly for a moment while his breathing slowed and his heartbeat returned to normal.

_How many nights like this can I take?_ he thought.

He laughed bitterly to himself. All those stresses and strains of the early days when Sonea came to live in the Residence. All the joy of discovering she loved him as much as he loved her. All the plotting and planning so that they could share their lives forever. All the triumph and tragedy of the struggle against the Ichani. All of it had been for nothing. He was alone in the huge, empty house again. And it was almost more than he could bear.

He got out of bed and pulled his fur lined bed robe around him. He lit a small light and reached for some water. He noticed that his hand shook slightly as he lifted the jug. _How the others would laugh to see their High Lord in this state, a tearful wreck of a man,_ he thought. _They would never have any respect for me ever again._ But as soon as these thoughts entered his mind, he knew how ridiculous they were. The cool, analytical part of his mind jeered at his emotions, but the other part of him, that part which had fallen so deeply in love with a young girl, understood the pain of loss and didn't condemn him.

He forced himself to break free of the dream and concentrate on the practicalities. It had been some time since he'd heard from Cery, weeks in fact, and he wondered why. He had a great deal of respect for the Thief and his network of informants, and couldn't understand why they hadn't found even the slightest trace of Sonea.

"I know she spent years living on her own resources in the city, but I can't believe that she could disappear so completely." His voice sounded odd to his ears, in the silence of his room, but speaking out loud sometimes helped him think more clearly.

"Why hasn't Cery sent a progress report?"

The Thief had always been diligent in his reports when he had been tracking the Ichani magicians, even when he had nothing definite to say, yet now, weeks pass with no word at all.

A suspicion took root in his mind and he began to believe that Cery had found Sonea and somehow she had persuaded him to keep quiet about it. Perhaps she was even now living in one of Cery's safe lodgings in the city and both of them were laughing at him. The more he thought about it, the more believable it became. He could almost picture them in his mind, sitting comfortably somewhere, sipping wine and laughing over how they had fooled the great and powerful High Lord so easily.

He forced the thought from his mind. None knew better than he just how many tricks a mind could play when woken suddenly in the middle of the night. Somehow, his mental defences were at their weakest then, and it took a great deal of effort to keep his thoughts on a rational path.

He drank the last of the water. It was almost four o'clock and he wondered if it were worth trying to sleep again. He had a long day of meetings ahead of him and he really needed to be alert. He extinguished the light and lay down again. His last thought before sleep claimed him again was that he needed to see Cery, face-to-face, and find out exactly what had been going on.

oooOOOooo

Cery heard a commotion outside his door. He got to his feet, but before he could move, the door opened and Akkarin came in, closely followed by an apologetic Gol.

"I couldn't stop, him…." Gol began, but Cery motioned him to go.

"I wasn't expecting you, Magician," he said, hoping his voice sounded calm and masked the shock of finding the High Lord in his most secret headquarters.

This was the first time that Akkarin had come to him without prior arrangement and without the guide Cery sent to fetch him. The fact that he knew where to find the Thief was more than disturbing. _Has he known where I was all this time?_ he wondered.

Akkarin sat down and fixed Cery with his gaze, "I haven't heard from you for so long, I thought it best to find out why."

Cery made a point of getting up and bringing wine and cakes from the side table, to give himself time to think. Normally, he had time to prepare before Akkarin arrived so he wasn't used to thinking on his feet. He poured the High Lord a glass of his favourite wine, but the magician ignored it, keeping his gaze firmly on Cery's face.

"I really have had no information to give you and it seemed futile continually sending messages which said nothing." Cery was pleased to hear how steady his voice sounded.

"I see. Are you still continuing the search, Thief?"

Cery nodded. "My men are working out from Imardin, as you suggested. The area is large and it's taking time. They are quite thorough, you know."

Akkarin continued to stare at him and Cery had to force himself to remain still under his scrutiny. Although the magician seemed as calm and dispassionate as ever, Cery began to feel a sense of anger beneath his cool demeanour. As the moments passed, his sense of danger increased and he could almost feel the anger as a physical weight pressing down on him.

To his relief, Akkarin turned his gaze to his wine glass and he picked it up, watching the contents swirl around the glass as he turned it in his hand. Cery nervously picked up a cake and began to nibble at it, continuing to watch the High Lord who sipped a little of the wine, before replacing the glass.

"You are lying to me, Thief!"

Akkarin's voice suddenly cut though the silence like a whip and before Cery could stop himself, he flinched. His mouth felt dry, but he knew he had to speak.

"Lying? Why would I lie to you, Magician?" He was proud of the steadiness of his voice.

Akkarin laughed humourlessly, "Why indeed? Yet you are lying to me. I can read your surface thoughts, Thief. I know you are hiding something from me and I know that what you are hiding is about Sonea." He paused for a moment, then continued, "Our agreement has served us well all these years, but now you have broken your word. I regard myself as absolved from my promises too."

As he spoke the final words, Cery found himself unable to move or speak. It was if he were tied to his chair and gagged. Only his eyes could move and they watched the High Lord rise and walk over to him. Akkarin stared into his eyes and the Thief could feel the anger clearly now, it was a raging anger, all the more terrible because no trace of it appeared on the magician's face.

Akkarin put his hand to Cery's temple. It felt cool, yet Cery could feel his skin creep as if he had been touched by something horrifying. Cery had a mental picture of Akkarin in his head sorting through the memories flashing through his mind like so many pictures. Cery could feel his heart thundering in his chest. He had never been so frightened in his life. He strained every muscle, but couldn't break free from the magician's control.

Suddenly it was all over. Cery could move again and Akkarin was once more seated opposite him, sipping on his wine. Cery took gulps of air as if he'd been drowning. Sweat ran down his face and the fear remained.

Akkarin sighed softly, "I'm sorry I had to do that, but there was no other way. So you found Sonea and lost her again because you didn't do what I asked. That was very foolish, Thief."

Cery opened his mouth to reply, but the words failed to come. He grabbed his glass and swallowed the contents, then cleared his throat.

"You had no right to do that!"

"I had every right!" This time, the anger was evident in the High Lord's voice. "My instructions were clear and you deliberately disobeyed them. Then, having alerted Sonea to the closeness of the search, you let the trail go cold by not telling me. Now the search must start all over again. You have cost me time, Thief and who knows what you have cost Sonea!"

The magician got to his feet and stared down at Cery. "Trust between us has been damaged by what you've done, Thief, and I don't know if I can ever trust you again. Do nothing more in this. Our arrangement is at an end."

After he had gone, Cery sat in silence for a while, his thoughts chasing round and round. The after effects of the magic were fading now, but his fear remained. In his heart of hearts, he couldn't blame Akkarin for what he'd done. He might not like it, but he always knew it was risky defying a magician.

He wondered if the High Lord would succeed in finding Sonea. After losing her at the inn, Cery had scaled down the search. He had misled Akkarin into thinking that it was still in operation, but in truth, there were only one or two of his men making half-hearted enquiries. He had made the decision after thinking about the fear in her eyes and the way she had run the moment she saw him. At the time, it had seemed the right thing to do, but now he had second thoughts.

One thing he regretted most of all was the loss of the arrangement with the High Lord. It had been very lucrative and he owed his present position to it. He was not sure how far its loss would damage him.

Perhaps he should continue the search himself. _Who knows, if I find her and tell Akkarin, perhaps we can breathe new life into our arrangement._

Part of him was dismayed at this cynical approach, after all, Sonea was a friend, but the rest of him, the Thief in him, thought it was the best solution to the mess he had got himself into.


	34. Conspiracy Betrayed

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Conspiracy Betrayed**

Akkarin had been writing a report for the King's Council when the message had arrived. Unusually it was written on paper, rather than sent by mental communication and briefly, the High Lord wondered why.

I need to see you on an urgent matter. Balkan

A simple message, yet Akkarin was concerned at what may lay behind it. _Has he finally decided to betray me? _That was his first thought, when the message arrived, however a moment's reflection made him realise that a betrayer was most unlikely to seek a meeting with the person he intended to destroy. He had responded immediately, setting a time for the appointment. He glanced at the clock, in a few minutes he would know the answer to all his questions.

Exactly on time, Balkan arrived at the Residence and was shown into the study. Takan brought wine and refreshments and set them out on the side table.

"Make sure Lord Balkan and I are not disturbed, Takan," Akkarin instructed.

As Takan closed the door, he turned to his visitor and indicated the wine and food. Balkan poured himself a glass of that terribly sweet white wine he liked and Akkarin loathed and took a few tartlets and cakes. Akkarin stuck to his favourite wine, but ignored the food. His stomach was not in a fit state to cope with food, even if an expert cook like Takan had made it.

Both magicians sat down and Akkarin looked expectantly at Balkan. To his surprise, the Warrior's leader looked uncomfortable and avoided the High Lord's eyes. He cleared his throat, took a sip of wine, then looked up.

"You may wonder what is so urgent, High Lord and I'm sorry to have asked to see you at such short notice, but there is something you need to know."

To Akkarin's surprise, Balkan launched into an explanation of his dealings with Charen and the offer which had been made to him. He described their various meetings and the discussions which had taken place. He explained the involvement of Lord Dagran and his suspicions of his motives.

When he'd finished, Akkarin released the breath he hadn't known he was holding. It was difficult to prevent an expression of triumph from crossing his features. _The conspiracy is as good as dead! _Balkan was staring at him, obviously wondering why he didn't speak.

He kept his voice calm and his expression under tight control. "Thank you for the information, Balkan. I can't say that what you've told me is a surprise." Akkarin paused, wondering just how much he should say. "The King warned me about Dagran some weeks ago. I have also noticed that you and Charen have met regularly."

Balkan gave a short bark of laughter and his piercing eyes stared directly into Akkarin's own. "I thought as much, especially after your foray into the food hall the other day. I didn't think you were that interested in the novices' opinions on food!"

He went on. "So you've been keeping an eye on me, have you?" Balkan allowed a smile to cross his face. "I would have done the same, if I were High Lord."

Akkarin smiled agreement, "It's a foolish leader who ignores what his closest supporters are doing. I know that some of the things I have done have not been popular, so it is reasonable to assume that there are discontented Guild members. All they need is a popular figure to group around. Dagran and his friends obviously thought you were that man, Balkan."

A grim look formed on Balkan's face and he frowned, "I cannot forgive them for assuming that I would be happy to break my vows and foreswear my oaths. You and I have disagreed over many things, Akkarin, and I must confess it took me a long time to get over the fact that a young magician like you was able to defeat me and claim the High Lordship, but I am not and never will be a traitor to the Guild or a conspirator against my High Lord."

Akkarin sipped his wine and continued to regard the magician opposite. Balkan was quick to search out those whom he suspected of not acting properly. He was diligent in dealing with what he saw as problems and he was not one to shy away from digging away at something until he found the truth. But he was honest and Akkarin had a great deal of respect for him. That was partly why he had been so concerned at the thought of his joining a conspiracy against him. He thought about how best to use what Balkan had told him. It would be a shame to let the contact between Balkan and the conspirators lapse. He could rely on the Warriors' leader to act in the best interests of the Guild.

"I appreciate the fact that you have told me all this, Balkan. As I said, I did have some inkling of the beginnings of a conspiracy but it occurs to me that it would be useful to try to discover the extent of it and which Guild members might be involved."

"I made it a condition of my involvement that Charen should not try to involve any other of the Higher Magicians."

"That may be the case, but I suspect there may be other magicians who might be involved and it would be useful to know who they are."

"Do you really think that's necessary, Akkarin? Without any leadership from higher magicians, it is unlikely that any conspiracy would gain any ground among the wider Guild."

Akkarin got up and fetched more wine. He took his time, carefully pouring the dark red liquid into his own glass and offering the white wine to Balkan. When both glasses were replenished and Balkan had accepted another tartlet, the High Lord resumed his seat and gazed at his guest.

"I have plans for the future of the Guild, Balkan. Once Sonea is well and I have more time, I intend to start working on ways of bringing the Guild into the modern world. That will involve some major changes to the way magicians live and work. There will be many in the Guild who won't like my proposals. I don't want to have an unknown group of people involved in Charen's little enterprise free and able to cause even more trouble."

As Akkarin was speaking, Balkan sat up straighter in his chair and put his glass and plate down. He furrowed his brow as Akkarin's words sank in.

"Change the Guild? Whatever for?" He sounded completely surprised by the idea.

"I have already mentioned this to Lorlen. We face major problems with the Ichani. Yes, we have defeated them this time, and it may take a few years for them to launch another attack, but the threat hasn't gone away. Many of the newer magicians who've entered the Guild in the last few years have been much weaker in power. Many of the stronger magicians are getting old and there are few able to take their place. The striking exception to this is, of course, Sonea. She is a naturally powerful magician, strong in power and capable of learning the most difficult magic."

Balkan's frown deepened, "Sonea? What are you suggesting?"

"There are a lot of people out there who are never tested for magic. People who are not members of the Houses, but who may have strong powers like Sonea. It is my intention to have people from outside the Houses tested for magic and where we find suitable candidates, I intend to have them join the Guild. If I have my way, the Guild will become more than a finishing school for noble children with a talent for magic. It will become the training ground for anybody from anywhere in the Allied Lands who show an ability with magic."

He sat back and watched a mixture of emotions cross Balkan's face. To say that the Warriors' leader was disconcerted by the High Lord's words was an understatement. He looked shocked. He opened his mouth to speak, but Akkarin interrupted him.

"And that's not all, Balkan. Magicians have got to start earning their keep. They must be encouraged to go out from here, to move into communities, where their abilities are likely to be of use to the population. They need to get out of this, this…" he was momentarily stuck for words, "…out of this ivory tower and into the real world where they can do some good."

There was silence for a moment as Balkan took it all in. Then he said, "You're quite right, High Lord, there will be many who won't like any of this and some may become desperate to stop you. You will not want an existing group of disgruntled conspirators already in place to form a centre of opposition to you. I will continue my involvement with Charen with a view to identifying potential problems within the Guild." He paused and picked up his wine. "I don't deny that what you've said has shocked me. I'm not at all sure that I can support you in all of this, but there will be a time and a place for any disagreement to be aired when the Inner Council meet."

Balkan drained his glass and rose. "I won't keep you, Akkarin, I'm sure you have things to do. As soon as I have anything further to tell you, I'll let you know."

After Balkan had gone, Akkarin took himself off to his favourite chair by the fire and sipped more wine. The meeting had gone well. Balkan was not a conspirator and he had given fair warning that he would disagree with Akkarin's long-term plans for the Guild in an open and fair way. He would argue his case and try to find allies in the Council. They were bound to have serious disagreements and it would not be easy to convince the others, especially with Balkan leading the opposition, but it would be true and legitimate way to work through the difficulties. The High Lord could not ask for anything more.

So, the conspiracy as good as over and that was one problem he no longer had to

worry about. Now all he had to do was find Sonea and bring her home. Then wait for Rothen to return, hopefully with a cure. After that, things would be almost back to normal.


	35. Found

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Found**

Cery knelt behind the partially ruined building. He was getting very uncomfortable, but he had invested so much time and effort over the past few days, that he was in no mood to give up now. His eyes took in the shabby building and the weed covered yard. As inns went, this one didn't inspire even a weary traveller to stop to enquire if there were any spare beds. The paint was peeling from the window frames and from what he could see, the windows hadn't been properly cleaned for some time. All of this gave him great cause for concern.

He had been tracking Sonea from inn to inn ever since he had decided to resume the search for her. This time, he was doing most of it on his own. He had left a trusty lieutenant in charge of his business affairs, with another trusted comrade to keep an eye on him, while he spent time carrying out his investigations. It had not been easy, because, as Akkarin had so angrily pointed out, the trail had gone cold, but somehow Cery had managed to trace it. He was also aware of the men which Akkarin had instructed to find Sonea. They were good, but not as good as a Thief with many contacts. Several times, they had got close, but not close enough. At the moment, Cery guessed he was about three days ahead of them.

Cery shifted position to ease the strain on his knees. He hoped that Sonea would make an appearance soon, so he could take the next step to get her out of here. Each inn and bol house that Sonea had worked in and then moved on from was a little worse than the one before, just a little poorer, or shabbier, with customers to match and Cery didn't like that, one little bit. He didn't know the reasons for her moving from one to another, the people he'd spoken to had been very vague, but it didn't sound good.

A movement in the yard alerted him and he saw Sonea come outside. He didn't have the best view of her, but he could see she was still wearing the shabby faded green dress he'd seen her in before. She had washed and pressed it fairly recently, he could tell, but it was still marked by stains and patches near the hem. She wasn't wearing a cap and Cery could see she'd cut her hair short, like a boy. She was walking slowly, hunched over, as if she had a pain somewhere and was trying to find a comfortable position.

He watched her walk wearily towards a shed and go in. She was lost to sight for a few minutes, then he saw her framed in the doorway as she dragged a heavy sack along the ground. He could see her clearly and what he saw shocked him to the core. _I can't deal with this,_ he thought. _I have to tell Akkarin. She will hate me for it, but he has to know! _

_OOOoooOOO_

The note was short and to the point.

The package you lost has been found. It is at The Merry Maid Inn along the road from Ferryrest. You need to collect it as soon as possible.

There was no signature, just the sketch of a small rodent in the corner.

Akkarin read it again. He was surprised to hear from the Thief, especially after their last encounter, which had not ended well. _Why tell me he's found her?_ he wondered. _Why not keep her secret? _The answers to those questions would have to wait, there was no time to lose. The men he'd sent looking for her had reported on her frequent changes of location so he was concerned that unless he went straight away, she would disappear again.

He went down to the underground room to change into his citizen's clothing. This time, he added a broad brimmed hat. He would not have the darkness to aid his disguise and he wanted to avoid any chance that he would be recognised. He would have to take the ferry across the river and he couldn't risk taking his horse. He would also have to think carefully about how he was going to get Sonea back in the Residence unobserved.

_What if she refuses to come?_ he asked himself. _What if she creates a scene? Neither of us must be recognised!_

In the end, he might be forced to use magic to keep her quiet, and he would have to be very careful about that. For the High Lord to be found in public, robe less and practising magic, would be an enormous scandal. For a High Lord to do all that, and kidnap a woman, even if she were his wife, would be an even bigger one.

It didn't take him long to reach the ferry and he joined the queue for tickets, keeping his head down. He drew the threadbare cloak tightly around him and hunched down to disguise his height. He shuffled along until he reached the ticket seller and held out the coppers for the fare. He grabbed the ticket and moved on quickly, following a group of passengers so closely that he hoped people would think him a member of it.

The river was running fast so it took the ferryman and his assistant a good deal of effort and time to get to the other side. Akkarin spent the journey squatting down in a corner, hat pulled down low, pretending to sleep. When the boat docked, he was careful to position himself in the middle of the disembarking passengers, blending in with them. Once on dry land, he set off down the road towards The Merry Maid. He didn't know how far away the inn was, but hoped it was not too far. He didn't relish having to bring a reluctant Sonea a long distance, with or without the use of magic to keep her amenable.

Ten minutes of walking brought him to the outskirts of Ferryrest. There were one or two open fields, but he could see a group of buildings in the distance and a passer-by confirmed that they belonged to the inn. As he got closer, he was shocked at the state of the buildings. Somehow, he had imagined Sonea working in some cosy little inn, with hanging baskets of flowers outside, a welcoming dining room inside with cheerful waitresses and happy customers. This inn did not give that impression at all. He thought that any self-respecting hanging basket would rather die than be seen at a place like this.

_What on earth was Sonea thinking of, working here? How can this be better than living with me?_

He went inside and found himself in a large room, with a counter at one end where a sleepy looking boy was selling drinks. The floor had been half-heartedly washed recently, and there were streaks of dust and grease in places. There were a few tables scattered around and a couple of miserable looking customers huddled at one. The fire was out and the grate looked as if it hadn't been emptied for months. There were one or two flies lazily buzzing around. He walked up to the counter and ordered a glass of beer. The boy filled a glass and dumped it down in front of him.

Akkarin passed him a few coins and asked about food. The boy shouted a question through a door, listened, then turned and said, "Food's ready in half-an-hour. It's mutton stew."

He thanked him and took his beer over to a lonely table, partially hidden in a corner. He sat down and wondered what to do next. He had hoped that perhaps Sonea would be working in the dining area, but it looked as it she might be in the kitchen. He looked at the smeary glass and dusty tables and wondered what the food would be like. Hopefully he wouldn't have to eat it.

He sat quietly, waiting for the food to be served. He had removed his hat, but kept his head down, concentrating on his beer. Another customer came in and ordered a drink. He went over to join the others and Akkarin was acutely aware that the three were now looking at him and muttering amongst themselves. _Perhaps the sight of a stranger is so unusual here, it's caused talk_, he thought. He hoped that muttering amongst themselves was all they would do. He didn't relish having to join in a conversation.

The door to the kitchen opened and a woman came in carrying a plate of steaming food. She said something to the boy, who gestured in Akkarin's direction. She put the plate down on the counter and went to fetch a basket of rolls, then with the basket in one hand and the plate in another, she started to walk towards his table.

He knew it was Sonea because of the message, but he wouldn't have recognised her as the person he had lived with for so many years. This woman was tired and it showed in her posture. She was in low spirits, keeping her eyes down, concentrating on keeping the plate steady and taking no interest in her surroundings. But most of all, it was the sight of her swollen body under the shapeless dress which set her apart from his slim and vibrant Sonea.

He watched her come towards him, waiting for the moment when she would be forced to look at him. He didn't know what to expect and he could feel his stomach knot and the muscles in his limbs tightened.

She reached the table and looked up, straight into his eyes. She made no sound, and for a moment nothing happened, then, as if in slow motion, the plate fell from her hand, the rolls cascaded around her and she slipped to the floor in a dead faint.

He leapt up and bent over her. She was white faced and there were dark circles under her eyes. He put his arms under her and lifted her into a chair. The boy meanwhile had run into the kitchen, shouting loudly. A moment later the door was flung back and a fat man rushed into the room, swearing under his breath. He reached Akkarin and began to apologise loudly for the mess and the clumsiness of his servant.

"I'm sorry Viola made such a mess of your dinner, sir," he said, pushing the broken plate and greasy pile of food aside with a cloth. "She's more trouble than she's worth, being sick at the slightest smell and unable to do much in the way of heavy lifting. Well it's to be expected in her condition. I only took her in as a favour, no one else would have her…."

Akkarin lost interest in what the man was saying. He concentrated on Sonea, using a little magic to try to find out how ill she was. She was in a dead faint and there was no response to his voice or the movement of his hands as he brushed her hair back. He looked up at the innkeeper.

"Some cold water and a cloth, and quickly!"

The innkeeper blinked as the mismatch between the shabby clothes and the educated voice of command was obvious. A calculating look came across his face and he looked at Akkarin with a wink.

"Of course, sir, at once," and he shouted to the boy who went running for the kitchens.

"You know this woman, sir?" The innkeeper's voice was heavy with undercurrents. "I've been looking after her. She has her own room in the yard, it's warm and as comfortable as could be expected."

Akkarin stared directly at the man, "Yes, I know this woman. She's one of my servants." He paused as the boy hurried over with the water and cloth. He spent a few moments soaking the cloth and putting it over Sonea's forehead.

"Where's this room of hers?"

He picked her up and followed the innkeeper as he led the way through the kitchens, across the yard to one of the outbuildings. He pushed open the door and Akkarin found himself in a poky little room, with a bed of sorts against one wall. He gently laid Sonea down. The innkeeper was hovering the doorway, and Akkarin needed to get rid of him, so he could use magic more easily. He glanced up at him and it was easy to read his thoughts. The man saw an opportunity for making some money.

Akkarin made his voice warmer as he smiled at the man. "Thanks for looking after the silly girl. She ran away a few weeks ago after a row and we've been looking for her ever since. She's one of my wife's favourites, and she's been really worried."

The innkeeper's expression showed his disbelief in Akkarin's story, but scenting some coins in the situation, nodded agreement. "I've done my best for her, sir," he said. "She's had plenty of good food and, of course, this room."

Akkarin succeeded in getting rid of the innkeeper and bent anxiously over his wife, mentally cursing the fact that he hadn't paid much attention to his Healing lessons all those years ago. Sonea had not come round yet and he was worried. He had no experience at all with pregnant women's ailments and wished Vinara were here.

After a few minutes, Sonea's eyes began to flutter, then opened. She saw him immediately and started to struggle to get up. He gently pushed her down again.

"You need to rest S….Viola," he said.

When she spoke, her voice was weak, "How did you find me?"

He smiled, "I have my resources, you know. Did you think I'd just let you go? That I wouldn't try to find you?"

A ghost of a smile showed briefly on her face. She closed her eyes again, then reached for his hand. "I've missed you," was all she said, but he felt his heart leap as her fingers tightened around his.

"Just rest," he repeated. "Then I'll take you home."


	36. Home Again

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Home Again**

Vinara stared at her patient, taking her time, assessing all the outward signs. She moved quietly around the bed, moving in more closely to carefully examine Sonea's face. When she had satisfied some internal criteria, known only to Healers, she gently laid her hand on the girl's forehead and closed her eyes.

Akkarin watched the Healer, although Vinara was practised at hiding her reactions, he could identify small clues to what she was thinking, and as far as he could tell, she was worried about something.

Sonea remained still, her face pale against the pillows, the dark circles under her eyes no better, despite a reasonable night's sleep. She had shown little interest at being back in her room in the Residence, still exhausted after all she had been through in recent weeks.

Getting her back home had been relatively easy. Akkarin had got rid of the innkeeper by offering him some money "…..to thank him for his trouble…." The purse was generous and the man had gone away satisfied. The High Lord was sure that there would be no trouble from him in the future. Besides, as far as he knew, a wealthy man had come looking for his pregnant servant who had run away. Akkarin was not certain the innkeeper believed the story about her being the favourite servant of his wife, but he was sure that the man would soon forget the details once he was spending the money.

Akkarin had arranged for Takan to bring a hired carriage to The Merry Maid and they managed to get her inside the Guild and back to the Residence without creating more than a passing interest from a group of novices. Once in her room, Viola had disposed of Sonea's old clothing, bathed her and settled her in bed. Through it all, Sonea had barely spoken, merely saying "yes" or "no" at appropriate gaps in the conversation. He had sat with her while she slept, holding her hand, just as he had done after the battle. In many ways, he was more worried now than he had been then. A battle injury was one thing, but the malaise of spirit, which now affected his wife, was something else entirely and he was not certain how anyone was going to deal with it.

Vinara was murmuring to Sonea, asking her the usual Healer's questions about how she felt. Sonea's voice was low, but Akkarin was pleased to see that she answered without hesitation and her conversation had moved beyond one-word answers. He wasn't close enough to hear what was being said. Vinara had insisted that he stay out of Sonea's line of vision during the examination. He hadn't asked why, as he was not sure he wanted to know the answer.

It seemed a long time to him, but at last, Vinara was finished. She said a few more words to her patient, smiled at her, patted her hand, then turned towards Akkarin. She said nothing, but gestured to the door. Akkarin silently followed her out of the room.

"Well?" Akkarin said impatiently as Vinara stood in the corridor. She hesitated for a moment, then assumed her objective healer's manner.

"Sonea is, naturally, exhausted after the hard physical work she's been doing in her condition. She hasn't been sleeping very well, as far as I can make out. Added to that, the meals she's had were not the best in terms of their wholesomeness, and this has not helped. I've given her something that will help her sleep, hopefully for several hours. Luckily, the babies seem well enough. She was a bit vague about how long she has been pregnant and I didn't want to push her too much. There will be time enough for that when she's stronger."

Akkarin's face showed his surprise, "Babies….?"

Vinara smiled, "Yes, my boy, Sonea is having twins."

"But magicians don't have twins, Vinara! Are you sure?" He couldn't disguise his shock.

"Yes, I'm sure, Akkarin. You know female magicians control their bodies and only have babies when they want them. Part of that control involves the number of babies born at the same time, so you are right, very, very few magicians choose to have twins. Sonea has been unable to access her magic since the balefire took hold, so any control she had was lost. You are going to be the father of twins and you had better get yourself ready for that!" Vinara patted his arm, all the time, a beaming smile on her lips. He had the strong feeling that she was laughing at him.

They spent a few more minutes discussing Sonea's health, before Vinara went off, promising to return in a few hours. Akkarin returned to the bedchamber and took up his familiar position by the side of her bed. He reached out and took possession of her hand. She turned her head on the pillows to look at him. He could see unshed tears in her eyes.

"It's all right, Sonea," he said softly. "You're home now, just rest."

Her voice, when it came, was a mere whisper, "I'm so sorry, Akkarin."

He brushed her cheek with his hand. "We'll talk about it later, when you are feeling better.

"Do you mind? About the baby, I mean?" He could hear the undercurrent of worry in her voice and realised she thought he would be angry with her.

He smiled, "It was a bit of a surprise at first," he said. _You are the master of understatement_, he thought wryly to himself. "But I'm getting used to the idea and it feels right."

Her eyes closed in relief for a moment, "I wanted to tell you, when I found out, but I couldn't, not after writing that letter and going away. I didn't know what I was going to do after it was born…" Her voice trailed away.

He watched as the sleeping potion began to work and she drifted off. He remained still for a while, holding her hand and thinking about what would happen next. He had already entered her mind earlier, when she had been sleeping. The balefire was still there, creating an even stronger barrier between Sonea and her magic, the purple tones in the light deeper than before. _Unless Rothen comes back with an answer_, he thought, _I can see no way of stopping it._

He refused to think of what that might mean. He thought instead about the babies. It was obvious that Sonea had no idea she was expecting twins and he wondered briefly how she would take the news. He wasn't really sure how he felt about it all.

First, it was an enormous surprise to me to find myself with a lover I wanted so much. Then I took a wife, something I never expected to do at all. Now I am to be a father, not only a father, but a father of twins. And all this came about because I took on a Novice! I really can't believe any of it!

He reminisced for a while, remembering all those passionate nights he had shared with Sonea and how alive she had made him feel. Pictures of their enthusiastic lovemaking flashed through his mind. He thought again of their shared studies of black magic and development of their Warrior skills, the long training sessions with Yikmo and Sonea's student Warriors. He remembered the battle and her willingness to risk death to save him. She has made me a better person, he thought. She has made me whole. I can't imagine a real life without her. These last few months have been terrible.

He smiled to himself. _I don't regret it, not any of it. I shall be a better father to my twins than ever my father was to me! I shall be a better husband to my wife…._


	37. Vinara

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Vinara**

It was the part of Healing she liked most, that time when all Healing that could be done, had been done, the patient was resting and she could sit back and observe the signs of Healing in action. She bent forward to check on Sonea. Yes, she was sleeping, but this time, her restlessness had gone and there were no bad dreams to disturb her rest. It had been a struggle in the two days since her patient had returned to enable restful sleep instead of the disturbed nightmares of her first night.

Vinara took the opportunity to examine Sonea's hands. They were red and chapped, with broken nails and small scrapes and bruises, providing solid evidence of the hard physical work she had been doing since she'd left the Residence. Vinara had been aware, right from the beginning, that her patient had disappeared, but she didn't know the reasons for her leaving. Akkarin had not said, and Vinara had not asked.

Because she was one of the few magicians who knew Sonea had left the Guild, Vinara had been able to watch over Akkarin from a distance to see how much the loss of his wife affected him. She recognised the strain about his eyes, the expression of sadness, which showed itself fleetingly when he forgot to keep his High Lord's remote mask in place. She hadn't said anything to him, because she knew him well and knew exactly what sort of a reception she would get, but she was worried. The job of a High Lord was difficult at the best of times, with many demands both on his time and his mental resources, but with his wife missing, especially a wife still not restored to full physical and magical health, the strain was tremendous.

There were those, she knew, who thought Akkarin a cold, unemotional man, with little concern for the ordinary, human things in life, but she remembered the warm-hearted, passionate young boy he had been when he first entered the Guild. She recalled the many times when that warm, generous, passionate nature had got him into trouble all the way through his novitiate and beyond, as a young magician with time on his hands. _No one who remembered that could think him cold, _she thought fondly.

Vinara had had no child to nurture. She had never married, nor taken a lover and that had seemed the right decision to her. She had wanted nothing to come between her and her devotion to Healing. Most of the time, she didn't miss what she'd never had, but there were a few occasions when she'd come across a young novice in her classes that she'd become fond of and watched over, almost as if they were a favourite niece or nephew. Many of them had followed her into Healing and she continued to take an interest in them. But there was only one magician who had filled that empty mother's place in her heart, and that was the slim young man with the long black hair and large sparkling eyes, Akkarin. He was the son she'd never had, the one she loved as deeply as a mother loved her child. She had never spoken of these feelings to anyone. Akkarin thought of her as a friend, and that was the way she preferred it.

At this point in her thoughts, she looked over at Sonea and found, to her surprise, her patient's eyes were open and looking at her.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, taking one of Sonea's hands in hers.

"Better, thank you," she replied. "What were you thinking about? You had such a sweet expression on your face."

Vinara laughed, "Oh, nothing much. Just remembering a few things from long ago. Now, tell me, do you have any pains anywhere?"

They spent a few minutes discussing Sonea's health. Then silence fell between them. Sonea turned her head until she was looking over to the window. She could just see the tops of the trees in the Residence's garden framing a bright blue sky.

"Oh, it's daylight," she said, surprise in her voice. "I thought it was still night time."

"You've been asleep for several hours and it's been a good sleep, no unhappy dreams to keep you restless." Vinara's voice was the soothing, Healer's professional voice. She was concerned to keep Sonea calm and rested.

"You know I went away, don't you?" Sonea asked then answered her own question. "Of course you did, a Healer would notice when her patient disappeared. Did Akkarin tell you what happened?"

"No, child. He didn't say anything to me and I didn't ask him."

Sonea sighed. "It seemed the right thing to do at the time. What use am I to him? I have no magic, no important, noble family, I'm just a dwell, so I thought I would make it easy for him. I didn't want him to start feeling he'd got himself a useless wife. So, the best thing was to go away."

_Without any thought about how he would feel_, _or how it would affect him, trying to carry on doing a difficult job!_ Vinara thought disapprovingly, careful not to let her feelings show on her face.

"Where did you go?" she asked.

"I found some work in an inn. It was tiring, but it was a decent place, with reasonable customers. I was there for a while, then I saw someone I recognised and who recognised me, so I had to run away. The next inn I worked in was not quite so decent, but I managed. I managed until I started to feel sick at the smell of the food. The cook was kind at first, but as it went on, she got more and more angry so I left. It was the same with the next one and the one after that. By then, I knew it was the baby making me sick, and I wanted…..I wanted…." Her voice trailed away and a tear slipped from her eye and down her cheek.

"You wanted to come home." Vinara made it a statement, not a question and Sonea nodded.

"Yes, I wanted more than anything to come home, to see Akkarin, to tell him about the baby. But I couldn't. Nothing had changed except that now he had a useless dwell wife with a dwell baby. His enemies at Court would laugh at him. What would the King say? So I found another inn, one where the innkeeper wasn't fussy about having a pregnant kitchen servant. It was a shabby place with shabbier customers and the work was harder than anything I'd done before, but I had a room and food. I thought no one would find me there. But he did. Akkarin came and he brought me home."

"What do you feel about that, Sonea?" Vinara kept hold of her hand and gazed directly into her eyes.

"I feel so sad for all the trouble I caused him. I thought I was making it better, but I wasn't. But I still don't have my magic, I'm still a dwell and now there will be a child."

Vinara smiled, "Ah, well, there's something I have to tell you, Sonea, which may surprise you. You are not having a baby."

"What do you mean! Not having a baby….." Sonea interrupted, puzzlement on her face.

"No, you are not having a baby, you are having two babies. You are expecting twins, Sonea!"

There was a gasp from the girl on the bed, "Twins? Are you sure?"

"Quite sure." Vinara kept her eyes fixed on Sonea's face, it was a gamble telling her the truth about her twins, but Vinara wanted her to know before Akkarin came back.

Sonea was silent. She gently pulled her hand out of the Healer's and turned over in the bed, away from Vinara. She huddled into the bedcovers and Vinara could hear her trying to muffle her sobs. For a moment, Vinara was tempted to tell the girl to pull herself together, but she immediately recognised the unfairness of that. Sonea had acted from what she had felt were the best motives. She hadn't deliberately tried to cause trouble for the High Lord.

"Come on, child," she said gently. "It's no good crying, it won't change things. You are home now, with a husband to care for you and the babies. Everything is going to be all right."

Sonea suddenly sat up in the bed and faced Vinara. "It's all right for you to say that, but I have lost my magic! No one knows how to get it back. It may never come back and I don't know how I'm going to cope with it all!" She was angry and that had dried her tears.

This time, Vinara couldn't help herself.

"That's enough! You're not the first person and you won't be the last to have problems with your magic. Akkarin is doing all he can to find a cure. Rothen has been away for weeks now, trying to find the Elyne witches who may know what to do. As well as all that, Akkarin has been searching for you ever since you ran off. He's had difficult things to deal with in the Guild and at Court, as well as worry about what was happening with you. Now he's found you and brought you home. He's hoping to find his loving wife has returned to him, once she's had some rest. Are you going to behave like this, when he comes to see you?"

Sonea had paled during this speech, looking down, unable to meet Vinara's eyes. She gazed at her hands, which were twisting against each other in her lap. After a moment, she looked up.

"I'm sorry, Vinara. You're quite right, I'm being very selfish." She gave the Healer a watery smile. "I don't know what's happening to me. Ever since I lost my magic, I've been a mess. I can't concentrate on anything for long, I can't make plans, I can't think! I used to be so quick, so certain of things. Anything I wanted, I got, one way or another. Now, I'm just useless."

Vinara smiled, "Recognising your problem is a good first step to feeling better. You have a husband and twins to think about now. Concentrate on them for the moment and try not to dwell on your lost magic."

There was a tap at the door, and then Akkarin came into the room. He had changed out of his robes into dark blue trousers, a white silk shirt and a dark blue sleeveless jacket. His hair was loose about his shoulders, making him look much younger and less intimidating. He glanced quickly at Vinara, but his whole focus was on Sonea.

Sonea sat up straighter in the bed, brushing a quick hand over her short, curly hair. She smiled uncertainly at him and held out her hand. He covered the distance between the door and the bed in two long strides and enclosed her hand in both of his. He bent over and kissed her on the cheek, not wanting to take more than she was willing to offer.

Vinara watched as Sonea put her other arm around his neck and pulled him closer to her. As Sonea raised her face for a proper kiss, Vinara turned to leave, pleased that the girl had taken her little pep talk to heart. Just as she reached the door, she could resist turning round for another look. Akkarin was lying full length on top of the bed, with his wife clasped in his arms. They were murmuring to each other between kisses. Vinara smiled to herself. _When two people who love each other deeply are in a room with a bed, there's nothing much that can come between them_, she thought in satisfaction.


	38. Working Things Out

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT World – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

Working Things Out

The door closed softly behind Vinara and they were truly alone for the first time since Akkarin had found Sonea at The Merry Maid. There was silence between them, as if both were thinking hard about what to say next. Akkarin decided to let Sonea speak first, simply letting his body show her how much he'd missed her. He kept his arms around her and rested his head against the top of hers.

For a moment, he thought perhaps she would be content to let silence exist between them, then he felt her head move slightly as she tried to look into his face.

"I'm so very sorry, Akkarin," she said at last.

"You said that before," he replied, the hint of a smile in his voice.

"I feel as if I can't say it enough. I've been so wrapped up in me, in my feelings, in my grief, that I've had no room left to think of you."

He had to strain to hear her voice, it was so subdued and quiet. He moved position, so he could look into her eyes. He smiled at her and gently kissed her forehead.

"I do understand how you feel. I've seen magicians who've had their powers blocked so I know what the loss of magic can do, but I urge you not to give up hope. Rothen has gone to find the Elyne witches because we believe they know more about balefire and what it can do than anyone else alive today. You know Rothen, once he gets an idea in his head, he will stop at nothing until he succeeds. If there is a way to stop the balefire hampering your magic, he will find it."

She stared at him for a moment, her eyes boring into his and he could see the sheen of unshed tears. Then she nodded slightly, acknowledging the truth of his words.

"Rothen will do his best to find a cure. But what if there isn't one? What will I do then? I don't think I could bear to be here in the Guild without any hope of regaining my powers. I don't think I could live with that."

The face that looked so earnestly into his demanded comfort.

"Do you believe I love you, Sonea?" he asked. When she nodded, he went on. "Do you believe I would speak only the truth to you?" She nodded again. "Then believe me when I say I would rather have you by my side, with or without magic, than be here in the Guild, alone. If it came to a choice between you and the Guild, I would choose you."

He could see the shock on her face. Whatever she'd expected, it hadn't been this. He probed his own feelings. All his life, he had striven to be the best, the fastest, the cleverest. Everything in his life had been harnessed to that end and the culmination of his ambition had been to become High Lord, not just High Lord, but the strongest and most powerful High Lord in the history of the Guild. Yet now, he had virtually promised to give all that up, simply to keep hold of a woman. Although he knew the sentiment was true, part of him still couldn't believe he would do it.

Sonea continued to look into his eyes, her own still registering her shock. She reached up a hand and laid it against his cheek.

"I could never ask you to make that choice," she said softly. "I know how much it all means to you."

"Yes, it does mean a lot, I can't deny it, but you mean much more to me. I discovered in these last weeks just how much I wanted you back with me. My life here was cold and empty and the Residence felt devoid of life. There were too many silent meals. My bed was a lost and lonely place. I can't live like that again."

She cupped his face in her hands and covered his mouth with her own. He felt her push her body closer to his as she wrapped her arms around him. For the first time, he was conscious of the swelling of her body and the need to be careful. He deepened the kiss, trying to convey the depth of his feelings for her. He felt her hands in his hair, holding him close as if she would never let him go.

"I felt empty too," she whispered. "All those weeks, I felt as if I had lost part of myself. I kept thinking I must get away, far away, but deep down I didn't want to be too far from Imardin. I thought I might catch a glimpse of you one day. That's what I hoped for, to see you and know you were all right."

He laughed suddenly. "We're a right pair, my Sonea – you pining for me in the kitchens and I pining for you in the Residence! Promise me you will never do anything so foolish ever again!"

She joined in his laughter and he was relieved to see some sparkle return to her gaze.

"I promise."

They lay quietly for a while, content simply to be together again after the past traumatic weeks. After a time, Akkarin spoke quietly.

"I have had a lot of time for thinking over the past few weeks. I'm not good with women, Sonea. They haven't really been part of my life; there was a girl when I was a novice and we had a happy summer together one year, but she went away and I didn't try very hard to replace her. Then Dakova's slave girl, there was love between us, yet we never spoke of it or touched. Once I came home, there was no one else except for an occasional arrangement I had with a woman in Imardin. So, what I'm trying to say is that until you came into my life, I gave no thought to love, it wasn't part of my life and I could see no way it would become so." He fell silent and Sonea stirred in his arms.

"What are you trying to tell me?" she asked.

"Perhaps I haven't been as supportive to you as I should have been. If I had taken more care of you, you wouldn't have become so desperate as to run away from me. I feel I've failed you and I'm sorry."

"Don't try to make me feel better – it's not anything to do with you, it's me! I used to be so firm about what I was going to do. I set a goal and went after it, after all I successfully seduced you, didn't I?" She giggled suddenly, "Yes, I was good at seduction! Since losing my magic, I've been unable to think properly, but I had a good talk with Vinara just before you came and she made me see things more clearly. I'm going to make the best of things. We have the twins to look forward to and that's what I'm going to concentrate on from now on."

Akkarin felt a great sense of relief. There were glimpses of the old Sonea now in her attitude and she seemed to be much more cheerful. He was sure, now, that they would be able to work things out. _The only thing left now, is for Rothen to come home, with_ _some good news_, he thought.

Suddenly, Sonea gave a gasp, "How are we going to explain why we kept the news about the twins secret? I can't just appear outside the Residence with no explanation!"

Akkarin laughed, "That's simple! We'll just blame the Healers. We'll say they wanted you to rest for a few weeks but now they feel you are well enough to be seen in public."


	39. Tension

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Tension**

Takan couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something wrong; something which was causing hidden tensions and undercurrents in the Residence. When Akkarin brought Sonea home, Takan expected things to return to normal, but they hadn't. On the surface, there was once again a happy couple at the heart of the Residence, simply waiting quietly for the birth of their children. However, on occasions, Takan could sense something of Akkarin's emotions courtesy of the blood gem link, especially when the High Lord was tired and not shielding as well as he could. The outward physical signs of strain that Akkarin had worn during Sonea's absence had gone, but his inner uncertainties remained. Even now, during breakfast, Takan could sense that there were unresolved issues.

He moved towards Sonea and refilled her teacup. She smiled up at him, but he noticed the smile was forced and didn't reach her eyes.

"Some more bread, my lady?" he asked, holding the breadbasket out to her.

She shook her head, "No thank you, Takan. I feel as if I've eaten a mountain already this morning."

Akkarin looked up from his plate, "Are you sure? You know Vinara is concerned you are not eating enough."

Takan saw the look of irritation cross Sonea's face and hoped that it had escaped the High Lord's notice.

"Yes, I'm sure, Akkarin." She looked at her husband and spoke firmly, "After the food I've been eating, coming home to Takan's cooking has been wonderful. I have to be careful not to eat too much!"

Akkarin's gaze searched his wife's face for a moment, then he nodded and returned to his food and silence reigned again.

Takan tried his best to encourage Sonea to have a little more. He offered her dish after dish, savoury tartlets, some fresh goat's cheese, a dish of stewed apples and a plate of fresh fruit, but to no avail, she refused everything. In the end, he contented himself with refilling her teacup as that seemed to be the only thing she was willing to have.

Once before, in the early days when Akkarin and Sonea had been bickering, Takan had wanted very much to knock their heads together. He was concerned that the same feeling was growing in his mind.

_Takan, stop! Your thoughts are drowning out my own! _Akkarin's mental voice was full of annoyance. It was so easy to forget about the blood gem link.

_I'm sorry, Master. _

There was nothing more he could do in the dining room, so Takan decided to retreat to the kitchens. _It's a wise man who knows when to give up_, he thought.

As the door closed behind him, Sonea looked up.

"Takan seems out of sorts this morning," she observed. "He's usually so cheerful, but lately he seems concerned about something. Do you know what it is?"

Akkarin shook his head, "No, he's had these moods before, but they usually don't last long. Now, when is Vinara coming to see you next?"

Sonea glanced over at the clock, "In about an hour's time. She said she'd like to see both of us after she's finished her examination. Will you be here?"

Akkarin mentally reviewed his appointments for the day. "Yes, I think so. I have to go to a meeting with Lorlen and some others, but it shouldn't last very long."

He stood up and brushed a few crumbs from his robes. Sonea pushed back her chair and came over to him. He put his arms around her and kissed her cheek.

"Make sure Vinara waits for me," he said softly, "I want to hear what she has to say."

OOOoooOOO

Right on time, Vinara tapped on the door of the Residence. She was carrying her small basket with a few medicines and other things, which might be needed. Takan opened the door almost immediately and showed her into the guest room.

"I'll tell Lady Sonea you're here," he said.

Vinara wandered around the room, it was some time since she'd been in it so she was curious to see what changes Sonea had made. The furniture looked much the same, but she noticed a few more decorative pieces had found their way on to various shelves and sideboards. There was a crystal bowl of fresh flowers in the middle of the main table, with other, smaller vases of flowers dotted about. There were also some more paintings on the walls and she was examining one closely when her patient arrived.

She asked the usual questions and took care to examine her patient's appearance closely. Thankfully Sonea seemed more rested and had lost the dark circles under her eyes. Vinara sat her down in a comfortable chair and laid her hand on Sonea's forehead. Closing her eyes, the Healer sent her mind within, examining every element of her patient's body. _The babies are doing well_, she thought, _despite the conditions Sonea endured and the poor food. Everything else is as it should be too. So, why is Sonea unhappy?_

Vinara reassured Sonea. who looked a little anxious, that everything was well. The Healer quizzed her about her diet and they exchanged a few words about the medicines she still needed to take.

"And how are you sleeping now, Sonea?" Vinara asked finally. "Any return of the nightmares?"

"No, the latest sleeping powder you gave me seems to be working, although I'm sleeping alone in my old room for the moment, so I can't be completely certain."

Vinara glanced sharply at Sonea. _I didn't expect that_, she thought. "Now that the bad dreams have stopped there's no need to be in your old room if you'd prefer to be with your husband." Vinara kept her voice neutral. The girl's pale face flushed with hot colour and she turned her face away from the Healer. _That's good_, Vinara thought in satisfaction. _There's still a lot of emotion there_.

Not long afterwards, the High Lord returned and joined them in the guest room. Takan brought refreshments and they indulged in some small talk whilst they drank tea and nibbled on a few cakes.

Eating over, Akkarin looked at Vinara, "So, how is the patient?"

Vinara talked for a few minutes, explaining what she'd found in her examination and the discussions she'd had with Sonea.

"Everything is as it should be, High Lord," she finished.

Akkarin leaned back in his chair, "Good, good. Sonea has been sleeping better and her appetite is better."

As he spoke, Vinara watched him carefully. She could feel the hidden tension in the room, which was affecting both husband and wife, but she didn't understand the reasons for it. She noticed that their conversations were slightly stiff, as if each were trying not to upset the other. She suddenly became aware that someone had asked a question.

"I'm sorry, I was thinking….." she said apologetically.

"I asked about twin births, Vinara," Akkarin said. "They are quite rare, aren't they?"

"Certainly, among magicians, but there are some in the general population."

"So it would be true to say that Healers don't have much experience with them?"

Vinara smiled reassuringly, "There's one part of the country where twin births are relatively common. It's an old Healer's joke that there must be something special in the local water! Anyway, I have made arrangements for the local Healer to come to Imardin to assist me when Sonea gives birth."

"That's good to know," Sonea said with feeling and smiling a little.

Vinara bent down and picked up her little basket. She began sorting through the pills and powders, then looked over at Sonea.

"I've been considering changing one of your powders, but I need to make sure there isn't a problem with what you're taking already, would you mind fetching all the medicine you're taking at the moment, so I can check?"

Once Sonea had gone, Vinara turned to Akkarin.

"You know that under all that calm normality, Sonea is still nervous and tense, don't you?" When Akkarin nodded, she went on, "It's really important that she is as calm as possible so that any potential problems with the birth are lessened."

"It's her loss of magic which is at the bottom of her feelings," Akkarin said. "I've tried to reassure her, but she doesn't want to listen. That's why she ran away in the first place."

"There must be something you can get her involved with that doesn't remind her all the time that she's unable to touch her powers. Something that will engage her mind and make her think deeply about it."

"There is one thing," he said slowly. "I haven't said anything to many people, but there is something going on in the Guild, a conspiracy of sorts against me. I could share what I know with Sonea and ask for her help."

"That would be excellent," Vinara said, "It certainly would give her something to think about rather than dwell on her own problem."

The door opened and Sonea returned, carrying an assortment of pills and potions.

_Vinara, you will say nothing of this to anyone_, Akkarin's mental voice was firm.

_Of course, High Lord_, she sent.

Later that night, just before sleep claimed her, Vinara suddenly realised what was wrong between Akkarin and Sonea.

_It's guilt_, she thought. _He feels deeply guilty because Sonea stepped in front of him and took the strike, which would have killed him. She feels guilty because she wasn't strong enough to protect the magic, which made her more than just a dwell_.


	40. Allies

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Allies**

Akkarin stopped speaking and looked carefully at his wife to see how she was taking the news. She looked rather pensive and he began to wonder if Vinara had been right after all. The silence continued and he resisted the temptation to fill the quiet by speaking. He watched a series of expressions flash across Sonea's face, then she looked up at him.

"How terrible, that you've had to worry about that after everything you went through with the struggle against the Ichani. The Guild doesn't deserve you!" Her voice was firm and he could see the beginnings of colour spread slowly across her cheeks.

"It was a bigger worry before Balkan came to me. I was beginning to think he had turned against me. He's quite popular, you know, especially amongst the Warriors and it he had decided to support Charen, I'm not sure I could have stopped him."

Sonea frowned, "I'd forgotten that, but you're right, Balkan is very popular with the Warriors. At lot of the older ones were disappointed he wasn't able to become High Lord. Does he know about the passages and that you are able to spy on him?"

Akkarin laughed, "What, tell people about the passages and destroy my reputation for being all-knowing? Certainly not! You are the only one who knows my secrets," he smiled at her, "I trust you to keep them to yourself. Not even Lorlen knows."

Sonea grinned back at him, "So I have something to threaten you with if you annoy me, how very useful."

He was delighted to find the old Sonea, with her sense of fun, back again, something which had been missing since the battle. He just hoped he would say nothing to upset her good mood.

"So what happens now?" Sonea looked thoughtful. "It's a risky strategy to let things just go along. Sooner or later you'll have to do something about Charen."

He got up and wandered over to the side table. He poured a large fruit juice for Sonea and a glass of his favourite wine for himself. He took the glasses over to where they were sitting, then went back for a plate of savouries. He was pleased when Sonea picked up a tartlet and began to eat.

"Charen is only the instrument and it shouldn't be too difficult to deal with him when the time comes." Akkarin paused a moment, then went on, "The real problem is Lord Dagran. He sees a much wider picture than the internal politics of the Guild, his concern is about threats to the King's power. I can't blame him for that, but at the same time, I cannot stand by and see the Guild become a plaything of factions at the King's Court. I've spent too many years working with Merin and directing the future of the Guild to see it all fall apart now."

He laughed briefly, "Dagran is right in a way. The Guild has a young High Lord who could be in charge for decades. The King is uncertain of his role and can be persuaded relatively easily, that's a potential disaster in terms of a power struggle between Guild and King. The fact that I have no intention of intruding into Merin's sphere is of no interest to Dagran. He can only see things in absolute terms. The High Lord is a source of risk to the King's power, therefore the High Lord must be rendered impotent. The best way of doing that is to ensure his disgrace and removal. If I were Dagran, that's what I would do."

Sonea was a little surprised at his last remark, but a moment's reflection made her realise that Akkarin had summed up the situation perfectly. She sipped her juice and smiled at her husband.

"But you are much cleverer than Dagran. He owes his position to his House and the power of his family, you owe yours to your strength and ability. You have been a successful leader of the Guild, well respected across Kyralia and the Allied Lands for your diplomatic skills. You must, surely, have a plan."

"I have thought of many plans, but have talked myself out of most of them. I need your help, Sonea. I need a fresh mind to work through the implications of certain courses of action. I have lived with this for so long, I fear I'm becoming stale, unable to distinguish the important from the trivial. Your perspective would be so helpful to me, it would let me see things much more clearly."

Sonea got up and came over to him and knelt awkwardly by his side. She put her hand on his knee and looked up at him.

"You really mean that?" she asked. "You need my help with this?"

He nodded, "You have a clear mind, Sonea. That's what I need. Perhaps, more importantly, you see things from a different perspective. You are not hide-bound by the traditions of the noble houses, you cut through the delicate questions of etiquette and the usual accepted ways of doing things, straight to the heart of the matter."

She looked enquiringly at him for a moment, "You're really saying you need my help because I'm not a noble, but a dwell – that's it, isn't it?"

"That's partly it, but it's much more important that you have a good mind, Sonea. You see a goal and it's almost as if you see a straight line towards achieving that goal." He smiled at her and laid his hand against her cheek. "Many woman have wanted to know me better over the years. My mother has been constantly matchmaking, throwing girls she thought suitable into my path and I have resisted them all. Then you decided you wanted me and you didn't anguish over it, as a daughter of the Houses might have done, you simply acted directly and effectively."

"I seduced you," she giggled. "I simply seduced you."

"Yes, but it was your desire to reach your goal, me, which made you plot a path which led to that happening. That's how your mind works. Oh, it's true that I'm well regarded for my diplomatic skills and I have the kind of mind which sees many paths towards something, but that can be a weakness too. It's easy to get bogged down in the smallest detail and the implications which might follow from that detail. When that happens, everything becomes harder to deal with. That's the place where I am at the moment. So many choices, but which one to take."

"I've never thought of it like that," she said slowly. "I've always thought of you as the clever one, pulling strings behind the scenes to get what you wanted. I never thought you might need help with thinking – fighting the Ichani, yes, but not with thinking."

He watched her for a moment, pleased to see a sparkle in her eyes and some colour in her cheeks. _Thank you Vinara,_ he thought to himself, _You were right after all_. He rose to his feet and held out a hand to help Sonea stand. He pulled her into his arms, so that her head was resting against his chest.

"We're a good team, Sonea," he said quietly. "We have different characters and different personalities, but we complement each other. Together we can do anything quicker and better than each of us could do alone. That's very important, Sonea, never forget it."

She raised her head, so she could look him directly in the eyes, "When you started, I suspected that you were saying these things to make me feel better, but it isn't that at all. You really do need me!"

He bent down to cover her mouth with his own. He felt her lips part under his as she responded. He tightened his arms around her as the kiss went on until they were forced to stop to breathe.

"I need you very much, Sonea, for all sorts of reasons. Don't ever forget that."

He fumbled with the neck of his robes and found what he was searching for. He pulled the chain from around his neck and Sonea saw he was holding the ruby and diamond jewel she had left in her note.

"Something of yours, I believe," he said softly.

"Yes," she replied, equally softly, "It was careless of me to mislay it."

He slipped it around her neck and she put up a hand to hold it for a moment.

"I shall take much better care of it from now on. I shall never let it, or you, go again."

He placed his long, elegant fingers under her chin and tilted her face. He kissed her gently, a sweet, butterfly kiss, and looked deeply into her eyes.

"And I shall never let you go again, my Sonea. I swear it by the Eye of Heaven"


	41. Alysa

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Alysa**

Alysa hung over the rail and stared into the water. She had never seen so much water in one place in all her twelve years. So much water, running fast with the current, with occasional ripples as it found its way around hidden objects. If she concentrated, she could almost see her reflection, or at least the shape of her face and her wild, red hair. She had been on the boat for two days now, and her initial panic at being afloat had subsided. At first, she had hardly dared stir from the seat next to her grandmother, uncertain how to stand and walk so that she didn't fall over. But it didn't take too long for her to move around with a degree of confidence.

She heard her name and turned to see Morwhellin, her grandmother, walking towards her. Alysa had heard many people say how closely she resembled her grandmother, but she could never see it herself. Apart from the dark red hair they both shared, Alysa could see very little of herself in her grandmother's features. Morwhellin was tall and thin, with dark green eyes, almond shaped and slightly tilted at the corners, which gave her face an exotic look. Even in their village, where many people had red hair and green eyes, no one had eyes quite like Morwhellin. Alysa had inherited the colour, but not the shape, which was something of a regret. Alysa liked to be different.

"There you are child," her grandmother said. "I've been looking for you, it's time for some food."

Morwhellin held out a small package which Alysa knew contained some homemade bread and cheese. She'd been eating the contents of similar packages ever since they had left home several days before. She wrinkled her nose and looked up at Morwhellin.

"Can't I have some of the other food? The food they serve to other passengers smells so nice. Please…" she wheedled, but her grandmother shook her head.

"I've told you before you must not eat meat, child, it interferes with your magic." Morwhellin's voice was stern. It was the voice which said she expected to be obeyed without question.

Alysa pulled a face. It was too much to hope that on a journey such as this, her grandmother would forget her strict rules about what they could and could not eat. She took the package and unwrapped it. Inside, just as she expected, lay two thick slices of the dark bread Morwhellin made, full of seeds and grains. It took a bit of an effort to chew it, but Alysa quite liked the strong, malty taste. Next to the bread was a smaller packet and inside she knew she would find a small, round, white, crumbly cheese, again home made. Moewhellin had a similar package in her hands, so they went to find a sunny corner to sit and eat their meal. After a few moments chewing, Alysa looked up,

"Where's the Sorcerer, Morwhellin?" she asked.

Morwhellin snorted, "In the dining area eating. That man manages to eat regardless of what's going on around him. Nothing seems to interfere with his stomach!"

Alysa giggled. She knew there was little love lost between her grandmother and the man who had come to their village some weeks before asking questions. It had caused a lot of excitement, because they had few visitors and even fewer of them were foreign. The man spoke their language with a thick accent, which made him difficult to understand and Alysa, like most of the village children, used to giggle when he spoke.

It wasn't long before the man came to Morwhellin's house and he spent a long time talking with her grandmother. Alysa didn't know what they talked about, as Morwhellin had made sure she had plenty of jobs to do which took her out of the house, but they certainly had a lot of things to say to one another, because the Sorcerer came to stay with them.

Once he was living with them, Alysa had plenty of time to examine the stranger. He didn't look particularly foreign, apart from his colouring of fair hair and blue eyes, but he wore exotic clothes, long, billowing robes in an unusual purple colour, which she had never seen before. She knew he used magic because she could smell it on him, it was different magic from that which Morwhellin used and it frightened her. Until the stranger came, Alysa had no idea that magic could be so different.

She had never seen him use his magic, so she imagined what he might be able to do with it. Alysa had always liked stories and often made up her own, so it was easy to imagine what the foreigner's magic could do. She used to watch him carefully, hoping to see something, but she never did, much to her disappointment.

The Sorcerer noticed her watching him and tried to make friends with her. He had a nice face, she thought, and sometimes his bright blue eyes would twinkle at her warmly, but she was too mindful of Morwhellin's instructions not to become friendly with the Sorcerer to ever take up the invitation.

Lying in her small bed at night, Alysa would often hear them arguing in her grandmother's room on the floor below. It was frustrating because although she could clearly hear the raised voices, she couldn't hear what they were saying. One night, she had crept downstairs and tried to listen, but Morwhellin had somehow heard her and pulled the door open suddenly. Her grandmother had been angry and sent her away, an unspoken threat on her face which Alysa knew from long experience, meant a severe punishment if she disobeyed again. After that, Alysa used to roll over in bed and pull the covers over her head when she heard raised voices from the room below.

Soon afterwards, Morwhellin had told Alysa they were going on a journey. Alysa had been very excited, as she was tired of the village where she had grown up and never left, except to go foraging in the mountains. Her enthusiasm was dampened a little when her grandmother explained that they were going away with the Sorcerer and they would be away from a very long time.

Morwhellin had packed a few clothes, some of her herbs and potions and a good supply of food. Alysa had very little of her own to take, apart from clothes and a small book which had belonged to her mother, Krysta, who had died giving birth to her. Alysa couldn't read the words in the book, but it was the only thing of her mother's she had and it went everywhere with her.

The Sorcerer had arranged for some mules to take them on the first part of their journey from the village, through the barren hills down to the Grey Mountains, which formed the border between Elyne and the Sorcerer's home country of Kyralia. These names meant nothing to Alysa, she had never had any need for geography lessons, but she understood they were going to another country and her mind became a battleground between excitement and fear.

They had trekked over the hills and through the mountains, camping at night, because there were few houses and even fewer inns. Eventually they had reached a town on the other side of the border, Windrest, and here the Sorcerer left them in an inn and went off to find a boat which could take them further on their journey.

While he was away, Morwhellin sat Alysa down and explained what she could and couldn't do in this foreign country, Kyralia. There were the usual rules about eating and drinking. Alysa must never, never eat meat of any kind and the only things she could drink were water and fruit juice. She nodded, these were familiar rules and she was used to them. Next Morwhellin talked about what she might expect on the journey.

"You will see many strange things in this country," she'd said, her stern expression back on her face. "Many people live here, and you will see villages much larger than our own. It is easy to get lost, so you must stay with me and not go off by yourself. The Sorcerer is an important man in this country and he will protect us and make sure we get safely to our journey's end."

"But where are we going and what are we going to do?" Alysa interrupted.

Morwhellin frowned, and was silent for a moment, as if deciding just how much to tell her, "We are going to a big city, the Sorcerer has a friend who is sick and we may be able to help her. The magic used in this country has failed, but he feels we may be able to cure the sickness."

That was all she said despite Alysa's many questions so she had to be satisfied with that. She knew from long experience that when Morwhellin didn't want to tell her anything, no amount of wheedling would get any more out of her. The Sorcerer returned shortly afterwards and took them to a large passenger boat moored near the town and the next stage of their journey began.

So here they were, moving swiftly along the river towards a large city, full of strange people, many of them sorcerers just like their companion. One day, he started to tell Alysa something about the city, when Morwhellin found them and sent her granddaughter away. Alysa moved a little way away, where she could still see them. She could see her grandmother was angry and was speaking firmly to the Sorcerer. He nodded a few times, then walked away. After that, Alysa didn't see very much of him at all.

However, she had discovered one thing. Morwhellin was afraid. It was fear which kept them apart from the Sorcerer. Despite his friendly manner, there was something about him which frightened her grandmother, and that knowledge struck terror into the girl's heart. All her life, she had never known Morwhellin to be afraid of any thing or any one. So what was it about this country and the place where they were going that caused such fear in a fearless woman?


	42. City of Sorcerers

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**City of Sorcerers**

When the Sorcerer returned to the inn, he came in a closed carriage. Alysa had seen nothing like it before and examined it closely. There was plenty of room inside and space for any luggage, although what they had was very limited. The carriage was pulled by four horses, the fattest and largest horses she had ever seen. In her village, the horses were small and shaggy and likely to bite the unwary, so Alysa kept well away from them. These horses seemed quiet and she even managed to pat one of them before her grandmother called her.

Morwhellin was even sterner than usual, although Alysa had difficulty believing that was possible. She repeated her instructions about staying close to her and Alysa reconciled herself to a rather restricted time. Still, that was nothing unusual. She had lived all her life with her grandmother, but still didn't know if Morwhellin loved her or simply looked after her because there was no one else. The two of them lived in the rather ramshackle cottage on the edge of the village and were left alone by most of the other villagers. Alysa thought that was probably because Morwhellin was extremely unfriendly to everyone, including her granddaughter.

The Sorcerer settled the bill with the innkeeper and invited them to take their seats. The driver was already seated, impatient to be off. Morwhellin got in first and occupied a seat by a window. The Sorcerer climbed in next and sat opposite her. Alysa jumped in and went to sit by another window, but her grandmother made her sit at her side, which meant her view outside the carriage was limited. The horses set off with a jolt and soon left the little port behind. Alysa stretched her neck as far as she could to try to catch glimpses of the countryside.

The sound of the horses' hooves changed as they left the cobbled streets behind. There were flashes of green as they passed through a small wooded area and then they were out in the open. The Sorcerer, ignoring Morwhellin's disapproving look for once, spoke suddenly.

"If you look out of the window now, Alysa, you will have your first glance of Imardin, the city where you will be staying for a while."

She scrambled over towards a window and stared out. They were at the top of a hill and the city was spread out around the foot. She could see just how large it was and understood fully for the first time her grandmother's concerns about getting lost. She could see distant buildings, many very grand, with tall spires and towers.

"Alysa! Come and sit next to me and don't disobey me again!"

She could tell just how angry her grandmother was by the tone of her voice, so she wasted no time in obeying. She sat next to Morwhellin, hands clasped in her lap and stared straight ahead, fixing her gaze on part of the coach's lining where there were traces of an old pattern. She made no further attempt to see where they were going.

After a while, the carriage reached the town and the shadows of tall buildings made patterns inside the coach. Alysa felt unsettled, some unknown fear was eating away at her and the closer they got to their destination, the blacker the fear became.

The city was so big, the journey seemed to take forever, but at last they came to large, wrought iron gates with some sort of guard who came over to the carriage. To Alysa's surprise, he was a sorcerer too, although his clothing was a different colour. Unlike their travelling companion, this one wore red. He exchanged a few words with their Sorcerer and then stood aside, so the carriage could enter.

The carriage moved forward again, but at a much slower pace. Alysa could see they were travelling along a wide road, lined with very tall trees. Beyond the trees, she could see fine buildings and gardens and farther away, what looked like a forest. She could also see many people and to her surprise they were all wearing clothing like the Sorcerer, long, billowing robes, but in a variety of colours. She could see purple, red and green and in amongst them, younger sorcerers dressed in dull brown. She had no idea there were so many people who used the strange magic she could smell on the Sorcerer.

"Where are we?" she asked. "What is this place?"

Morwhellin said nothing, but the Sorcerer smiled and said, "This is the Magicians' Guild, Alysa. It is my home and where my sick friend lives. You will be staying here with your grandmother."

Alysa stared at him, "Your friend is a sorcerer too?"

"My friend is a magician, like me. We don't call ourselves sorcerers and you should remember to refer to us as magicians, otherwise some people may be upset to hear you use that word." He turned angrily towards Morwhellin. "Have you explained nothing to her?"

Morwhellin stared at him grimly, "I have told her what she needed to know, Sor…Magician."

"But not enough!" He turned again to the child. "Magicians are referred to as Lord or Lady and you need to remember that. I am Lord Rothen and my friend, is Lady Sonea."

While he had been speaking, the carriage had drawn up outside a large imposing building. For Alysa, it was exactly like the palaces described in the stories told to young children in her village. She wondered if a king lived there. The Sorcerer, no, Lord Rothen, opened the door and got out. He turned and held out a hand towards Morwhellin who ignored him and got out unaided. Alysa scrambled after her and pushed herself against her grandmother. She didn't want to go into the strange building. There was something about it which frightened her and she didn't know what it was. All she knew was that she mustn't enter or something terrible would happen.

Lord Rothen led the way up the steps towards the entrance. As he reached it, the door swung open and a servant appeared and gestured for them to enter. Alysa hung back, but Morwhellin turned on her and told her to hurry up and not be so silly. She tried to explain, but her grandmother cut her off, grabbed her arm and pulled her into the building. Alysa held her breath, but nothing happened.

They were shown into a large room. Fruit juice and cakes were offered and then the servant left them alone. Lord Rothen sat down in one of the chairs, but Morwhellin seemed uneasy and remained standing. Alysa still felt like running away as far as she could, but under Morwhellin's strict gaze, she stood still. They were left for what seemed a long time, then the servant returned and spoke to the magician. After a brief conversation, the magician turned to Morwhellin.

"Lady Sonea is resting and cannot be disturbed for now, but her husband would like to speak with you. Will you follow me?"

As they moved after him, Alysa was thinking about the sick magician. She had originally thought she was a child, and that was why Morwhellin had brought her, to keep her company perhaps, but hearing about a husband, she had to rethink her ideas. Perhaps she was an old woman and that was why she was ill.

They stopped outside another large carved wooden door and Lord Rothen knocked. He must have heard a response because he opened the door, but Alysa heard nothing. They followed him into a large room, with a cheerful fire burning in an ornate fireplace, casting flickering shadows over the furniture. At the far end was a desk with a man sitting behind it.

He looked up and Alysa found herself looking into the blackest eyes she had ever seen. He stared at her and she felt as if he were inside her head. He rose and she tried to drag her eyes away from his. After a moment, she was able to look away. She was conscious that he had risen from his seat and was coming out into the room to meet them. She tried not to look, but found she had to, she had to know where he was. She saw that along with the black eyes, he had black hair and was dressed entirely in black. Only the pale oval of his face relieved the darkness which surrounded him. She could smell his magic, far stronger than that of Lord Rothen. This magic was powerful and alive and she felt it search for her. There was nowhere for her to hide. The strange magic surrounded her and she could feel it press against her flesh and it took all her strength to prevent it from penetrating to her core. She had never felt anything like this before. She was almost beyond fear now.

The black sorcerer moved nearer, and his magic grew more powerful, the closer he came. He seemed to glide across the floor, with no sound except for the faint rustle of his robes. His eyes were still fixed on her face and Alysa felt her heart thud against her chest and her breathing began to falter, then, without warning, she fell to the floor in a dead faint.


	43. A Different Kind of Magic

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**A Different Kind of Magic**

As the child crumpled to the floor, Akkarin was momentarily at a loss. Her reactions had been totally unexpected and he was still uncertain of the reading he had got from her just before she fainted. He froze and looked towards the old woman. Her reaction was equally unexpected. Unlike most grandmothers, she didn't rush towards the child or make any move to assist her, so it was left to Rothen who bent down and picked her up. He looked around uncertainly and Akkarin gestured towards large chair.

Once the child was settled, the old woman moved over to her and laid a hand on her forehead. Akkarin sensed a faint buzzing of magic in the air, but it was like nothing he had experienced before and he was unable to identify it. _It is true, the Elyne Witches have their own, quite different magic,_ he thought_. Perhaps this is not such a wild goose chase after all._

The old woman nodded to herself, "She's just fainted. She'll wake up in a moment." Her accent was thick, and her words hesitant, but her Kyralian was perfect.

Rothen frowned, "Why didn't you tell me you spoke Kyralian? It would have made things so much easier."

Morwhellin laughed briefly, "And spoil the surprise when I met your High Lord!"

The child meanwhile had recovered from her faint and was staring around anxiously. She looked at Rothen and her grandmother, then her head turned until she was looking at Akkarin. A look of fear crossed her face and she scrabbled out of the chair and pressed herself against her grandmother.

The old woman said something to her sharply and when the girl appeared to argue, she repeated her words but this time she took hold of the child's arm and shook her. After a moment the child nodded and stood still, huddled against the old woman's side.

"High Lord, this is Morwhellin and her granddaughter, Alysa," Rothen's voice was calm, as he introduced the visitors. "This is our High Lord, Akkarin, it is his wife who is ill."

Morwhellin nodded, "I have heard of you, Magician. Your fame reaches even our small insignificant village. I had not expected to see another sorcerer in my lifetime, so I was surprised when your emissary came asking unusual questions."

"Another sorcerer?" Akkarin questioned. "You have seen others before?"

She laughed without humour, "Others, not of Kyralia, have visited us in years gone by. They were keen to learn some of our ways, especially that of the purple fire. They were good students and paid us well for our trouble. Their magic and yours are the same, I can smell it."

"My wife suffers a sickness brought on by the purple fire. Those whom you taught fought against us and in the battle my wife was struck. Now the purple balefire eats at her magic source. Nothing we do can stop its progress. It is my hope that your magic has the means to make her well again."

"So your emissary told me. I cannot tell until I see her, if anything can be done. Once I have examined her, I will tell you if I can help. Then I will tell you my price."

There was no friendliness or warmth in Morwhellin's voice or manner. Akkarin got no sense of her concern, beyond the possibility of obtaining her price, whatever it was. He tried again to read her surface thoughts, but found she possessed a barrier which enclosed her like a bubble and he was unable to penetrate it. The child was the same, although her barrier was not as practised as the old woman's and he had slipped a little way in through the gaps.

She grinned suddenly, "Do not try to get into my head, Magician. You want my help. I am indifferent as to whether I help or not so it would not take much for us to return home."

_If magic doesn't work, perhaps charm will_, he thought.

"I'm afraid it's a habit of mine, Morwhellin and I'm sorry it offended you. We do need your help and I can promise you anything you need will be provided and your price will be met, whatever it is. You and Alysa will stay here, in my house, there is a room already put aside for you and anything you want will be put at your disposal."

She stared back at him, unimpressed. "Our needs are few. I've already explained to your emissary – we eat no meat or fish and drink nothing but water, fruit juice or tea. We need nothing else. When I have seen your wife, I will tell you if there is anything else required. Now, can I see her?"

"Of course. I'll have my servant show Alysa to your room and she can rest while..."

Morwhellin was quick to interrupt. "The child goes with me! We will not be separated in this house; she speaks no other language but our own and needs me with her."

Akkarin smiled his agreement, "I understand. Alysa will go with you. Now, if you are ready, we will go and see Lady Sonea, my wife."

_Rothen? Is she always this difficult?_ he sent.

He could sense Rothen's amusement in his reply, _This is one of her good days…_

_Oh, wonderful! _Akkarin responded, resignation heavy in his mental voice.

Akkarin led them out of his study towards the main staircase. He turned to the old woman and explained, "Lady Sonea is in a bedchamber on the first floor. I have prepared a room for you and the child along the same corridor."

"And where do you sleep, Black Magician?"

Akkarin was taken aback at her form of address and was uncertain whether she was simply using the colour of his robes as a title, or whether her own magic had detected his black magic skills. He decided to ignore it.

"I have a room next to my wife's if she needs to be alone to rest." Akkarin had no intention of discussing his domestic routine in detail and was prepared for further questions, but the old woman simply looked at him and nodded.

By this time, they had reached Sonea's room. The High Lord tapped lightly and entered. Sonea was sitting in a large comfortable chair with Vinara sitting next to her. As the three people entered, Vinara stood up.

"This is Lady Vinara, one of our Healers," Akkarin said by way of an introduction. "Vinara, this is Morwhellin, from Elyne, and her granddaughter."

Vinara smiled a welcome and said, "I'll leave you alone to make your examination, Morwhellin." She turned to Sonea and said something quietly to her, before leaving the room.

Morwhellin said nothing to Sonea, but simply laid a hand on her forehead. Akkarin sensed again the buzzing, so like a faintly angry insect. The old woman nodded and said something to the child. Alysa began searching through a cloth bag she carried and brought out a small packet. Morwhellin tore it open and Akkarin smelled a sharp, herby scent. She poured some of the herbs into her palm and spat into it. She mixed it into a dryish paste and fashioned it into two large lumps. She pressed one lump of it to Sonea's right temple and the other to the left temple.

Sonea wrinkled her nose, but otherwise kept still, her eyes following the witch's movements. Morwhellin placed her hands over the lumps of paste and closed her eyes. Sonea's eyes fluttered, then closed and she appeared to be asleep. A faint sound of chanting filled the room, although Akkarin couldn't see Morwhellin's lips move.

The old woman remained still for some time and then removed her hands and spoke again to Alysa. The child reached up and removed the two lumps from Sonea's temples. She crumbled them and poured the bits back into the packet, carefully folding it closed.

Morwhellin ignored Sonea and addressed herself to Akkarin.

"It is as you say, the purple fire has a strong hold and is growing stronger. Soon the whole of the magic source will be overwhelmed."

Akkarin heard a strangled sound from Sonea. She hadn't been told the true state of the progress of the balefire before. She was staring at him, a horrified look on her face. He reached over and took her hand. Morwhellin observed them with a sardonic expression on her face.

"You had not told her the truth, Black Magician? That is not wise." She continued, "You did not tell me she was with child. This will make a considerable difference to the treatment I will be able to use."

"Can your magic work despite the fact Sonea is pregnant?" Akkarin's voice couldn't quite hide his concern.

The old woman looked at him, disdain in her eyes, "I have examined everything carefully and I think I can deal with it. It will take some time, but I am sure I can cure your wife. The child is a complication. Tell me, Black Magician, if it comes to a choice between your wife's health and that of the child, which will you choose?"

Akkarin hoped the shock he felt at her words did not show in his expression. He kept his face still and his voice calm.

"There is no choice involved, Witch, both my wife and my children are to be kept safe."

Morwhellin smiled grimly, "Children, eh? So it is twins I have to save as well as the woman." She paused, "I will do it."

Akkarin began to say something, but she cut him off. "You have not heard my price!"

"Well?" Akkarin said impatiently, "What is it?"

"I want the child tested for your magic and if she qualifies, I want her to become a novice in your Guild."


	44. Morwhellin

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Morwhellin**

To say that Morwhellin had surprised them was an understatement. Whatever Akkarin had imagined as the Elyne witch's price, having her granddaughter tested for magic was not it.

"Are you certain that Alysa has the sort of magic a Guild test would find?" he asked carefully.

The old woman gave him a contemptuous glance, "Would I ask for this, if I didn't believe she had!" she said firmly. "We, whom you call Elyne Witches, have an ability to identify different kinds of magic. I can tell your magic is different from mine simply by the way it smells to me. With the child, I can smell your magic as well as mine on her."

"We need to discuss this further, Morwhellin, and here is not a good place. Perhaps you and the child would like to go to your room and freshen up a little after your journey. I shall ask a servant to bring you to my library in about half an hour to continue our discussion."

Morwhellin nodded agreement and after Akkarin had summoned Takan, grabbed the girl and followed him from the room without a backward glance. Akkarin exchanged a glance with Sonea. It seemed that politeness was not high on Morwhellin's list of priorities.

Akkarin moved closer to Sonea, "I'm sorry you had to hear about the progress of the balefire in such a way."

He was anxious that Sonea should not feel betrayed by his keeping such a thing from her and was prepared for her justifiable anger, but her reaction surprised him.

"How long have you known?" she asked softly, a half-smile on her face as she caught sight of his expression.

"For some time," he said quietly. "I was always waiting for the best time to tell you exactly what was happening, but there never seemed to be a best time."

"When I first came to live in the Residence, I never imagined you had a warm and sentimental side, I thought you were completely indifferent to the needs of others, but it's true, isn't it? You didn't want to tell me bad news, because you knew it would upset me."

He sighed, "I'm really not very good at dealing with people I love. You destabilise me, Sonea. I'm never sure how much to tell you. With you, my emotions rise to the surface and almost paralyse me. I find I can't think straight." He laughed softly, "If the Guild knew just how you unnerve me, Sonea, they would think you'd cast a spell on me!"

She reached out and took his hand, "Don't regret it, I love it that you care about me so much, you become emotional! I hope you never change. Although that remote and distant High Lord had a lot of attractions for me, I much prefer my sentimental husband!" She smiled warmly at him, then turned her attention to the matter at hand. "Now, we have much to discuss with Morwhellin, so perhaps we should go to the library straight away."

Once they had made their way to the library, he settled Sonea in a comfortable chair and made sure she had a fresh pot of tea at her side, then sent a mental command to Takan to bring their guests to them. Although Akkarin was capable of speaking the old woman's language fluently, he decided to hide his knowledge on the basis that he might learn something of interest in the conversations between grandmother and granddaughter. He did not trust Morwhellin, nor did he like her or her attitude. _If only she wasn't the only one with a possible solution_, he thought ruefully. Once Morwhellin and her granddaughter had arrived and were seated, he opened the discussion.

"Is Alysa aware of your plans for her?" he asked.

The old woman glanced down at the child, who was seated by her feet and absently patted her head. "No, she knows nothing."

"But surely, if she is a strong in your magic as you say, she can smell how her own magic is different and wouldn't that make her wonder?" Sonea asked curiously.

Morwhellin shook her head, "She is still a child, so she can't fully use her magic." As she saw that Sonea was still puzzled, she added impatiently, "She hasn't had her woman's moon cycles yet, so her Elyne magic is still not fully awakened, but I can judge both streams of magic in her, and she will be strong in both!"

"Tell me how Alysa came to have two different types of magical ability. I'm sure that is a very unusual situation," Akkarin said.

Morwhellin took a large swallow of her water and sat silent for a moment. "It's difficult to know where to begin, Black Magician," she said. Then she straightened in her chair, " I suppose at the beginning….." Her voice died away for a moment, then she continued.

"My mother was like me, a witch, with strong magic and was a well respected member of our village. But she longed for adventure and decided the village was too small for one of her beauty and magic skill, so she ran away to the city. There she met a Kyralian sorcerer and went off with him. She was lost to the village for many years and no one expected her to return, but she did. The man she ran off with was dead and she was with child. She had nowhere to go, but home."

Morwhellin took another gulp of her water and sighed, "She hoped that her child would inherit magic from both its father and its mother, but when I was born, she knew that I was only like her. She taught me all she knew of magic and told me tales of my father and what he was able to do with his magic. She hadn't entirely given up hope of getting a child with both strains of magic, so when I grew older, she encouraged me to do what she had done and find a Kyralian Sorcerer to father a child."

Morwhellin laughed softly, "I had inherited some of my mother's beauty and she told me how to behave, so off I went to find a suitable father for my child. I found a young one, newly graduated from your Guild, and I bespelled him so that he followed me home and I kept him with me until I was with child, then I released him from the spell and he turned from me in horror at what I'd done. I never saw him again. When my daughter was born, my mother was again disappointed. She had inherited only my magic. Mother began to think that what she wanted was not possible. She died a year or so after my child, Kyrsta, was born, but by that time, I was keen to do what had eluded her. In time, I encouraged Kyrsta to find a Kyralian Sorcerer and make a child."

"But Krysta had her own ideas. Our village is not far from the border with Sachaka, and we often had visitors from the wastelands, the Ichani. Several of them came to study our ways and to learn about balefire and Krysta was very taken with one of them. They didn't stay, of course, but by the time they left, Krysta was pregnant."

Morwhellin fell silent, perhaps lost in her memories for a moment. Then she sighed and drank more water. "Krysta died giving birth to Alysa, so she never knew that at last, she had succeeded where my mother and I had failed, she had a child with two strains of magic." She laughed humourlessly, "Of course, what none of us had considered was that we didn't know how to train a child with your magic. We needed someone to show us how. I had intended to find someone, and bring him to our village, but you sent someone to me instead and suddenly I had the answer to my problem."

Akkarin regarded her closely, as far as he could tell, she was telling the truth, or at least, the truth as she saw it, but her logic escaped him.

"I understand you need someone to help you teach Alysa how to control her magic, but why ask for the Guild to test her and take her as a novice. Surely you want your granddaughter at home with you?"

Morwhellin stared back at him, "You look at her and see a child. I look at her and see the culmination of three generations of effort to produce her. I want her to become a strong and powerful Witch-Sorcerer. The place for her to learn that is here, with you. I have taught her Witch magic, she is a quick learner and is strong in power, but the rest is beyond me. The sickness of your wife gives me an opportunity to make you take Alysa. I am satisfied with that. Now, do you accept my price, Black Magician?"

Akkarin nodded, "I will make arrangements for Alysa to be tested. But, Morwhellin, not every child with magic is acceptable to the Guild as a novice. The power has to be relatively strong and the child must have the right sort of temperament to learn how to control it. It is possible that Alysa will not pass the test, despite your ability to smell our magic in her. If that happens, will you still treat Sonea?"

Morwhellin frowned, "My price, my one and only price, is that you test Alysa and take her as a novice. If both parts of my price are not fulfilled, the bargain is void."

"I cannot make an exception, " Akkarin replied equally firmly.

A look of disbelief spread across the old woman's face, "You are the leader of this Guild aren't you? You want your wife cured and your babies kept safe, don't you? I do not see why you cannot take Alysa regardless of her level of ability."

_The Witch is right_, he thought. _I cannot turn down the only hope I have that Sonea can be cured simply on the basis of a rule. I, who have broken so many rules in the past!_

He held out his hand, "I accept your price Morwhellin."

For a moment, it looked as if Morwhellin would ignore the High Lord's hand, but after a moment's hesitation, she took it.

"I shall send you a list of things I need," she said. "I will start tomorrow."

After she and the child had left, Sonea turned to Akkarin with a shudder, "I cannot like her or her ways. To think that she, and her mother before her, deliberately went out to seduce a magician in order to make a child with special powers. It's inhuman!"

Akkarin agreed, but his mind was concentrating on Morwhellin's story. Finally he said, "I think that Morwhellin is Temsin's child. The Guild had no idea that his wife was pregnant, or they would not have let her return home, but she must have hidden the fact. She blamed the Guild for Temsin's death, so we must be careful about what Morwhellin sees and does whilst she is here. I wouldn't be surprised if revenge against the Guild played some part in her plans."


	45. The Beginning

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT World – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**The Beginning**

Alysa was bewildered. Everything around her was strange and she didn't quite know how to behave. Of course, she had expected some degree of strangeness; after all, she could not expect a foreign city to be like her own small, mountain village, but it was the change in Morwhellin which made her feel so lost. She'd had no idea that her grandmother could speak the Sorcerers' language. When she had tried to question Morwhellin about it, her grandmother had become angry and refused to answer. Alysa was beginning to think that there was some momentous plan in Morwhellin's mind and she worried about what that plan was and what her own part in it might be.

Alysa had not yet overcome her fear of the house they were living in. She constantly felt drained by the heavy and dark atmosphere which seemed to affect all the people in it, apart from Lady Sonea, who turned out to be a young woman with a kind face and friendly eyes. Her husband, however, was another matter entirely. She could feel his magic strongly whenever he was in the same room with her, and sometimes, she could sense it even at a distance. Its smell was strong and powerful, crowding out all other traces of magic and Alysa could feel it roiling around him like a massive dark thundercloud, tendrils reaching out for her, trying to break through her defences, to seize her core. She tried to keep away from him, but it was difficult. He spent a lot of time with his wife and was often in the room when Morwhellin came to see her, and as her grandmother refused to allow Alysa to be away from her side, she frequently found herself in his company.

She tried to explain her fears to Morwhellin, but her grandmother brushed them aside.

"You will do as I say, and stay with me until I send you away," she had said firmly. "You are my acolyte and are bound to follow my orders."

Although Alysa knew she was formally bound to her grandmother as an apprentice witch, it still hurt that Morwhellin seemed to refer to their relationship only in those terms. She wanted to love her grandmother and have her grandmother love her in return, but she was still waiting for a sign that her wish would be granted.

Morwhellin was practising some serious magic, the child knew, because she had seen the scrawny old woman stand, naked, in the moonlight which came through their bedchamber window, moving and chanting in a sequence Alysa had never seen before. She knew that the most powerful magic they possessed could only be done in this way. It was so powerful, that it was rarely used and she had never been taught it. Only when she had passed her apprenticeship and was deemed experienced enough would Morwhellin pass on the knowledge. It seemed then, that whatever affected the young sorcerer was strong and difficult to cure, if it needed moon magic.

Apart from the Black Sorcerer and his wife, who, it turned out was a Red Sorcerer, Alysa had met few others. The Purple Sorcerer, or Lord Rothen as she was now required to call him, came regularly and she had met a kindly Blue Sorcerer, who smiled at her with green eyes, very like her own, but otherwise the only people she saw were the Black Sorcerer's servant, Takan, and Viola who worked for Lady Sonea.

Morwhellin and Takan took an instant dislike to each other and Alysa was amused by the tight expressions on both their faces when they were required to speak with one another. Takan was charged with acquiring the supplies Morwhellin needed for her treatments and she had very high standards of what was, and was not, acceptable. The first time Taken returned from a shopping expedition with the various herbs and powders Morwhellin had ordered, he had been shocked when she tipped most of them on the floor and told him to get better quality things, and to get them immediately.

Alysa watched the intense argument which followed, unable to understand the words, but observing the cut and thrust of the claim and counterclaim by the facial expressions and aggressive body stance. Then Morwhellin hissed a few words at Takan, and Alysa saw his face turn a deep red for a moment, before the blood drained from his cheeks and he became increasingly pale. Morwhellin added a few more words and his expression filled with horror and he turned and almost ran from the room.

"What did you say, Grandmother?" Alysa asked, curiously.

Morwhellin snorted, "I told him the truth and he didn't like it."

Nothing she could say would persuade her grandmother to explain her cryptic remarks and so Alysa added another mystery to the many she had encountered since she had arrived in Imardin. As far as she could see, she would never find the answer to any of them, if Morwhellin had her way.

Alysa sighed, it was almost time for Morwhellin's afternoon visit to Lady Sonea and she knew that the Black Sorcerer would be there, watching what the old witch did with those bottomless black eyes of his. And then, Alysa knew for a fact, those eyes would turn to her and she would feel again the tendrils of his power climbing all over her, searching for a weakness, for somewhere to slide in, and when that happened, Alysa would be lost.

oooOOOooo

Akkarin heard the knock at the door and glanced at the clock. Whatever else he might think of the Elyne Witch, she was punctual. He bade her enter and she came in, trailed as usual by the child, who looked fearfully at him, before hiding herself behind the tall, thin figure of her grandmother.

As usual, she ignored him and went directly to Sonea. After a few questions about her state of health, she laid her hand on Sonea's forehead. Akkarin felt the now familiar buzzing of witch magic. He was no nearer to understanding how it worked than he had been at the beginning, and now, he supposed, he never would.

Morwhellin smiled in satisfaction. "You are stable, my lady. There has been no further increase in the power of the purple fire at your core, so I will be able to start my cure very soon."

"Why wait?" Akkarin interrupted. "If my wife is ready, why not start now?"

The old witch turned towards him, her expression one he particularly disliked, patronising and condescending. She snorted, "My magic requires careful preparation, both for the healer and the patient. It is not like your instant displays of pretty lights or fiery streaks, Black Magician, my magic is born of the earth and the moon. I do not wave my hands to create explosions or to move my cup nearer my hand. My magic is subtle and ancient. It will not be rushed."

Like many times before, Akkarin was left with little to say, and that made him dislike Morwhellin even more, but he forced himself to appear friendly. He needed her and he knew she knew it. He frequently felt the old woman was laughing at him behind his back and that did not improve his temper either.

"Now," Morwhellin began brusquely, "There are certain requirements which must be followed for my magic to work."

"Of course," Akkarin acknowledged. "We all understand that."

Morwhellin smiled humourlessly, "Well, that may be true, but some of my requirements are more difficult than others. For example, once I start my preparations, your wife must be kept completely alone apart from Alysa and myself. No one, and I mean no one at all, is to see her or have contact with her until my treatment is over."

"Completely alone?" Sonea asked in a shocked voice. "Surely your requirements do not mean I cannot see Lord Akkarin?"

"Completely alone." Morwhellin said firmly. "The Black Magician does not question my demands and you would be wise to follow his example."

Akkarin took her hand, "It won't be for long, Sonea," he said reassuringly, "And if it means you will be fit and well, with your magic back in your control, it will be worth a little absence."

Morwhellin went on as if the interruption had not happened, "You will have to eat only what I prepare for you. No one else is to cook food for you and you are to drink only water. You are to stay in this room. All the furniture is to be removed and a plain mattress provided, with linen sheets and a wool blanket. The curtains and carpets will also be removed. You must lie on the mattress, which must be placed on a plain wooden floor. You are to wear only a plain linen sleeping gown. Your rings and other jewellery are to be removed." She paused for a moment, "These are my main requirements. There may be others, and I will let you know."

Akkarin nodded. He was unsurprised at most of these requirements. He knew from his researches that witches tended to use nature as the basis for a lot of their magic and having plain, natural materials around them, seemed to be important.

"I will arrange all of this immediately, Morwhellin. When will you start your preparations?"

The old woman stared at him and he felt the buzzing again, but this time from within as if he had swallowed a hive of bees. _By the Eye, how does she do that! _ he thought in surprise. _No one should be able to break through my defences so easily._ He grew hot, as if he'd run a long race, then the buzzing stopped and the warmth began to disappear. He fought to keep his face expressionless and hoped the witch didn't know how much her actions had startled him.

"You are fond of your wife, Black Magician and I am not heartless. I will start tomorrow, so you will have a last night with her before she goes into seclusion." Morwhellin answered his unspoken question. "I cannot tell at the moment, just how long that seclusion will last."

After she had gone, the child trailing after her, Sonea turned to Akkarin and pulled a face.

"She's worse than some of my teachers when I first joined the Guild! I can't believe it is necessary to cut me off from everything and everyone, just to perform her particular type of magic. I'm sure she's only doing it out of some perverse sense of amusement."

Akkarin laughed briefly, "I wouldn't be so sure of that! Anyway, she knows we have no choice but to do what she wants. I don't like it either, but hopefully she will be able to deal with the balefire fairly quickly and it will all be over."

"I wouldn't put it past her to drag it out, just to make us suffer. She had a look in her eye as if she wanted to burst out laughing! 'I am not heartless' indeed! That just about sums her up, cold and heartless."

Akkarin pulled Sonea into his arms and kissed her. "Well, heartless or not, we do have the rest of today and tonight to say our temporary farewells, and I have one or two ideas on how to ensure you don't forget me."

Sonea pulled another face, but a quite different one this time. "As if I could forget you…." she said with a grin as she returned his kiss.


	46. Love Laid Bare

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

Love Laid Bare

It had been just over a week since Sonea had gone into isolation, with only the two witches to attend her, and in that time, Alysa had learned more magic than in the five years since she had become her grandmother's apprentice. Morwhellin had begun to explain things in more detail, so Alysa had a deeper understanding of the potions and spells they were using to cure the High Lord's wife.

Morwhellin had given her a new book which she used to write down the spells and incantations she had learned, with strict instructions to memorise each one until she was word and gesture perfect. Her grandmother had also begun to teach her some of the powerful moon magic needed for the treatment.

So, for Alysa, it had been a magical week in more ways than one. For the first time, she felt her grandmother regarded her as an important colleague rather than a child and she felt proud that Morwhellin, the foremost witch in their village, should trust her in this way.

One of her first tasks had been to master the preparation of the drink which Morwhellin gave to Sonea twice a day. The drink caused Sonea to fall into a waking sleep, her eyes were open and she could respond to instructions and answer questions, but she had no independent thoughts or actions, and could only respond to the voices of the two witches. She also had no memory of what happened or how long she had been "asleep". Alysa was puzzled and didn't understand the necessity of constraining Sonea in this way, but her grandmother explained that it was better that Sonea had no recollection of their incantations or anything else they might have to do during the treatment.

"What her eyes don't see, her head won't have to worry about," the old woman said with a smile. "We can be perfectly at ease using whatever is necessary without the worry that our secrets are known to another."

The room was very different now, with everything familiar to Sonea removed. Even the walls were covered in plain linen sheets, giving the impression that they were in some sort of tent. Sonea had been unhappy at having to remove her marriage ring, as well as the jewel Akkarin had given her, but done so without complaint. All was put into boxes and left outside the chamber door for collection. This system was also used to deliver Morwhellin's twice daily requirements, as well as for exchanging clothing and bed linens.

"Come here child!"

Morwhellin's imperious voice caused Alysa to start out of her reverie. The old woman was bending over Sonea, who was lying on the mattress, her hand resting on the Red Sorcerer's brow. When Alysa reached her, Morwhellin took her hand and placed it under her own, directly on Sonea's forehead.

"Now, read the woman. What can you tell me about her waking dreams? Describe everything exactly as you see it."

This was something new and Alysa was nervous. Her throat was suddenly dry and she had difficulty getting the words out.

"Lady Sonea is thinking about her past, I think, " she said quietly. "I can see a forest where she is sitting alone. She is thinking about something which frightens her, but she can't stop thinking about whatever it is. I can't see what it is…." Alysa's voice faded away as she felt the old woman's impatience.

"Yes, yes, child, but what about now! We don't want to know about her past! What is she thinking about in her present situation?"

Alysa tried again and this time, Sonea's waking dream was strong and clear, "She's thinking about him," she said, "About the Black Sorcerer."

This time, Morwhellin nodded in satisfaction, "Good, good, child. She thinks about him a lot, most of the time in fact. She loves him deeply, this one. She would give everything she has, even her own life, to keep him safe."

Morwhellin was silent for a while and Alysa didn't feel like disturbing her. Morwhellin didn't like to be disturbed. Alysa kept her eyes on her grandmother, not daring to make any movement.

"It's possible to change people's waking dreams, child. A talented witch like me can insert a charm into a dreaming mind and alter a person's attitude to something or someone." She looked into Alysa's eyes, a wicked gleam in her own, "Shall I make her hate the Black Magician, Alysa? I can do it! I can make her physically sick to even look at him."

Alysa was horrified. She liked Lady Sonea and if she loved the Black Sorcerer, and here she couldn't suppress a shudder at the thought, Alysa didn't want her to suddenly dislike him. It would be heartless.

"Oh no, grandmother!" she cried. "Don't do that, it would be so cruel. He loves her too, doesn't he? He would know it was something you had done which made her change. We mustn't make him angry…."

Morwhellin laughed. "So, you like her, eh? Well that's all to the good. Yes, he loves her very much in his own way. But there's a part of him which wishes he had never met her, a part of him which yearns for the serenity of not loving, for being complete, alone. But it's too late now, he has her and he has a great physical need of her, as well as an emotional bond. He fears losing her."

Alysa must have looked bewildered, because Morwhellin gave a shout of laughter and patted her on a shoulder, "Don't even try to understand, child, it will all be very clear to you one day, but not for a while yet. Anyway, I won't change Sonea's feelings about her Dark Lord, it will be more useful for her to love him than not."

_Another cryptic remark_, thought Alysa grumpily. _One day I shall understand them all!_

Morwhellin turned once again to her patient, hand on her brow, concentrating deeply. She began speaking in a soft voice, almost as if to herself, but Alysa felt she was intended to hear, so she sat close to the old woman and listened.

"So many thoughts about the babies… so many happy thoughts. She dreams of sons, tall and dark, like her Dark Lord. Strong in magic…handsome and kind….black eyes….long dark hair…..no thoughts of a girl child…..all about sons…"

Morwhellin's voice dropped to a whisper and Alysa had to strain to hear.

"Mothers and sons….why is it always mothers and sons? Fathers and daughters…yes…..there's the key…..mothers and sons and fathers and daughters….I give thanks to the Moon Goddess for mothers and sons, fathers and daughters…"

She fell silent and Alysa frowned. _Nothing she ever says makes much sense any more,_ she thought in frustration. _What's that all about? All that rambling about fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, am I supposed to know what she means? If I ask her, she won't tell me. I'm tired of it all, so very tired…_

Morwhellin sat up suddenly, her whole manner brisk and businesslike. She sent Alysa scurrying for herbs and powders and began chanting a cheerful sounding incantation as she began preparing a potion for Sonea. When Alysa returned with what was needed, she smiled at the child.

"It won't be long now. Our magic is slowing taking control of the balefire. Soon I shall be able to send it out of the woman and she will have her magic back."

"And will she be completely cured grandmother?" Alysa asked.

Morwhellin was silent for a moment, then smiled again, "She will feel completely cured. Gaining control of her magic will be like taking a powerful drug. She will be very happy and so will her Dark Lord."

Alysa didn't care for her grandmother's smile. There was something lurking behind it, something which was darker and more threatening. For a moment she thought that Morwhellin was lying about the cure, but dismissed the thought. _The Black Sorcerer would be angry if Morwhellin didn't cure his wife,_ she thought_. And his anger is something to be feared, even Morwhellin would be frightened of arousing it._


	47. Fear

I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Fear**

Lorlen fell silent and waited for a reaction to his report, but there was silence. He glanced at the High Lord and found him concentrating on a patch of the table, giving every appearance of not having heard a word.

"High Lord?" Lorlen said. "Akkarin?"

Akkarin looked up, an easy smile on his lips, "Sorry Lorlen, I seem to have been distracted. Would you mind repeating the last part of your report?"

Lorlen pulled a face, "It's not like you to be so distracted. What's on your mind? It's not Sonea's illness is it?"

Akkarin shook his head, "It's nothing, a mere irritation, that's all. Do go on."

"Well, as I said, I tested the girl myself as I didn't think you would want to alert the Guild yet to what is planned for her. As Morwhellin said, she shows a strong aptitude for magic and, if she completes her training successfully, she should be one of our stronger magicians. She's nowhere as strong as Sonea, of course, but much stronger than some of our latest novices. Obviously, I couldn't read her witch magic as it's women's magic, so I don't know what the implications will be of her having both kinds."

Akkarin looked thoughtful. "Yes, that's the worry, what will happen when she comes fully into both sorts of magic? Will it make her a magician who can switch from one to the other, or will the two strains become combined in some way, making an entirely different sort of magician?" He frowned, "There's something that old woman has got planned, I know it….and she knows I know it, but I can't see what it is."

Lorlen nodded, "I had a long conversation with Rothen about that old witch. He didn't much care for her and found her very difficult to deal with. He was furious that she didn't let on she could speak Kyralian!" Lorlen grinned as he remembered how a red-faced Rothen spluttered as he tried to express just how put out he was. "Poor Rothen had been struggling for weeks to explain complicated ideas in a foreign language he was not very fluent in, when all the time, the witch could have made his life so much easier."

Akkarin poured himself another large glass of wine and offered the bottle to Lorlen, who shook his head, "No thanks, it's a bit early for me,"

The High Lord sipped his wine for a few minutes, then put the glass aside.

"It's been nearly three weeks now, what on earth is that old witch finding to do with Sonea?" His voice reflected his exasperation. "I have seen nothing of her, apart from one brief meeting on the stairs one morning when she assured me that things were going well and Sonea's treatment was proceeding normally."

Lorlen looked closely at his old friend. On the surface, the High Lord looked his usual calm, dispassionate self, but he wondered exactly what was going on underneath. Lorlen no longer wore the blood gem ring much to his relief, yet there were times when he missed the link to Akkarin. The blood gem link allowed some sense of the maker's emotions at times and Lorlen would have given much to know exactly what Akkarin was feeling now.

"What do you know about the treatment?" he asked.

"Nothing really. Morwhellin naturally wouldn't give any details at all, simply making a few general platitudes about how she worked with nature. Once she and the child disappeared into Sonea's room, it was as if they had all flown off to the Eye! I've been reduced to listening at the door some nights, but I can hear nothing. The only signs of life are the boxes left outside the door with requests for more obscure herbs or clothing left out for washing. As for trying to use magic to find out what's going on, the old witch has created a barrier which encloses the whole room which is impossible to penetrate!"

Akkarin picked up his wine and took a long swallow.

"Morwhellin is Temsin's daughter, I'm sure of it." he continued. "Her mother vowed revenge on the Guild when she was removed from Kyralia and who better to exact that revenge than a witch with total control over the High Lord's wife? Yet I have no choice but to allow her to treat Sonea! There's no one else with the faintest idea what to do."

"But if the child is to remain here as a novice, surely Morwhellin wouldn't do anything to put her own granddaughter at risk?" Lorlen said reassuringly.

Akkarin snorted, "If she loved the child, I would agree with you, but the old woman has given little evidence of it. However…the child is important to her plans, I'm convinced of it, so she is unlikely to jeopardise her position. No, on balance, I am sure that she will deal with Sonea's problem, because otherwise I would refuse to have the child."

He finished his wine and poured another. "I think that Morwhellin doesn't simply want Alysa as a novice in the Guild, I suspect she wants her to be my Novice. That would keep her at the centre of the Guild, in a good position to be an instrument of revenge."

Lorlen couldn't help but smile, "Another Novice? Another female "outsider" Novice? You will begin to get a very odd reputation, High Lord!"

Akkarin smiled crookedly back at him, "At least this one won't try to seduce me, she's frightened to death every time she sees me!"

The High Lord's expression became serious, "I am not going to take the girl as my Novice, no matter what the witch says. Her price was to have Alysa tested and accepted into the Guild, and I am willing to pay that, but as to having her living with us in the Residence – no, nothing on earth will make me do that!"

"How do you think she'll fit in?" Lorlen asked.

"It will probably be the Sonea situation all over again, at least to start with. But, you know, that may not be a bad thing. The Guild has to change and it has to get used to taking in all sorts of people from all sorts of backgrounds so a little uneducated Elyne child will be one further step along to the road to my vision of a new, revitalised Guild. When Sonea is better, I intend to speak to the King about opening up the Guild noviciate to any one with the right level of magical ability, regardless of rank."

Lorlen remembered an earlier conversation with Akkarin about the same subject and wondered again just how the High Lord intended to get the Higher Magicians to agree, let alone the King, who was very much concerned with Nobles' rights and duties. _Still, that's a problem for the future_, he thought.

oooOOOooo

Alysa stared at her grandmother, a stricken expression on her face. "You can't mean it, Grandmother! You can't simply go home and leave me here, alone, with all these sorcerers!"

Morwhellin frowned in annoyance, "You will do what I say and if I say you are to stay here in the Guild, here you will stay. Why do you think I bothered to bring you? Now listen to me, you have the same sort of magic as the magicians, as well as our own moon magic. This is because your father and grandfather were also magicians. You need to learn how to use it properly and the Guild is the place where all magicians come to learn how to use their magic. I have taught you as much as I can of our moon magic. You have been a good student and I am pleased with you, but now you have to learn the sorcerers' magic and I cannot help you with that."

"But I don't need to learn any other magic, I'm happy with what you've taught me. I just want to go home with you." Alysa burst into tears, something she rarely did.

Morwhellin sighed and went to fetch the girl some fruit juice. _Perhaps I should have been more gentle when I told her_, she thought. _But time is running short, the dark pain grows ever more fierce within me, and I must leave soon._

She tried again. "Look, Alysa, you like Lady Sonea don't you? When she is better, she will look after you. She will soon have babies to care for and you can help her with them. You'll like that won't you?"

Alysa snuffled and dabbed at her eyes with the piece of linen the old woman gave her. "Y…yes," she said uncertainly.

Morwhellin smiled and patted her hand. "Yes, of course you will. There will be other young magicians here to get to know and classes to attend. You will be busy all day, with no time to miss me, or our village."

Alysa was silent, her thoughts in a whirlwind. Yes, she did want to see different places and meet different people, but she didn't want to stay in this place full of sorcerers and all of a sudden, her remote mountain village seemed the most desirable place in the world.

Morwhellin came and sat close to her, "I am getting old and I've taught you everything you need to know. It's time for you to take up the other side of your heritage, your father's magic. There is no need for you to be afraid. You have powerful moon magic and I'm sure your other magical powers will be equally strong. You learn quickly, so it will not take long for you to master all of your magic. When that happens, I shall be very proud of you."

Alysa stared at Morwhellin in amazement. She had never had such praise from her grandmother before and she didn't know quite what to say. Morwhellin smiled knowingly at her, "Yes, you're surprised at that, aren't you?" she said. "It's true, you have been my best apprentice, and I've had a fair few over the years. You are clever and quick and you work hard. While you are here, never, never forget you are an Elyne witch, from a long line of Elyne witches, all powerful women who were able to control the forces of nature and influence the actions of men. Now go and rest, tomorrow will be a long day because I will complete the cure and there are still lots to do."

Later, resting on her mattress in a corner, Alysa considered what Morwhellin had said. _I am beginning to get used to the idea,_ she thought, _and perhaps it won't be as terrible as I imagine. Lady Sonea will look after me, she is kind and will be grateful for her cure._

_But, there is something more, something Morwhellin is not telling me and I am afraid of what that might be. _


	48. At Last

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**At Last**

He was surprised to find himself quite nervous and smiled crookedly at his reflection in the mirror. _You aren't afraid of black magic, so why should you be afraid of a witch?_ he asked himself mockingly. _She's just an old woman using women's magic_. But he knew that it wasn't just Morwhellin who made him feel this way, it was Sonea and the uncertainty about whether she'd been cured or not.

He reached for the note and reread it. It didn't actually use the word "cured" and that concerned him. Like all the notes Morwhellin had put in the box outside the room, it was bare of any pleasantries and straight to the point.

"The treatment is over and Lady Sonea will be coming downstairs this morning. Wait for her in your library."

He wondered briefly why the old witch had specified the library, then realised that it was probably nothing more than a small demonstration of her power over him. He shivered slightly. Ever since she had scanned him with her magic and had penetrated his thoughts so easily, he had been wary of Morwhellin's powers. He could readily believe how easily the young Temsin had been enchanted by Krysterne, so much so that he had revealed all his secrets to her, including his work on balefire.

Akkarin stared at his reflection, willing his features into their usual calm and distant expression. He finished tying back his hair and gave his robes a slight tug to smooth out any creases. He smiled as he remembered that he used to use magic to ensure his appearance was perfect, but Sonea's mocking comments on how lazy magicians were to use magic for even the most ordinary things in life had cured him of that habit.

He made his way to the library. Morwhellin's note had not mentioned any time, so he supposed that the old woman would make him wait. He was determined not to let any sign of his nervousness show and he ensured that his thoughts were well shielded. He sat down and reached for a book, prepared to wait as long as needed.

Some time later, he realised that although he had turned the pages and stared for a time at each one, he couldn't recall a word. He sighed and glanced at the clock. It had been almost an hour and still no sign of Sonea. He sent a mental command to Takan for some refreshments, avoiding the temptation of asking for wine this early in the day.

He got to his feet and began to pace around the room. _What is the old witch doing?_ he fumed. _Is it something more than just making me wait! Has something happened? Did the treatment really work? What has gone wrong?_

His gloomy thoughts chased round and round, each one gloomier than the previous one and he seemed powerless to stop them. It was if his thoughts were caught in a fast running narrow stream, with no way out and he simply had to let them run.

Takan came in with the tray of fruit juice, tea and sweet cakes. He glanced at Akkarin, but decided not to speak. He was conscious through the blood gem link of some of his master's swirling emotions. When he was in that sort of state, Takan knew from experience he was best left alone. Having placed the refreshments on a side table, he silently withdrew.

It was only when he heard the small click of the door closing that Akkarin realised that Takan had been and gone. The High Lord returned to his desk and picked up the book again, vowing to concentrate this time. He heard the clock strike the hour and thought that if Sonea didn't emerge soon, it would be time for lunch.

_Akkarin? Akkarin? _Her mental voice sounded clearly in his head, strong and joyous.

_Sonea! _He fought to keep his mental voice calm.

_I'm coming down now!_ she replied. _I'm almost at the bottom of the stairs. I'm now in the Hall._

Her mental voice chattered on and on, giving him a step-by-step description of her journey. It was almost as if, having been unable to use any magic for months, she never wanted to stop using it again.

The door opened and she was there in the room, her face alight with happiness as she held out her hands to him. He caught them in his own and pulled her into a close embrace, all the while her mental voice sounded in his head, saying his name over and over again. He was conscious of the old woman standing in the doorway behind his wife and didn't want to give her the satisfaction of showing what he was feeling, so he gently moved Sonea from his embrace and guided her to a chair.

She was dressed in the simple linen garment Morwhellin had insisted on and he noticed that her hair had grown so that it almost reached her shoulders. He remembered his shock at finding her in the kitchens of the inn, her hair cut closely to her head, as it had been when she was a slum child. Now the curls had grown back, just how he liked it.

"So, Black Magician, you are pleased your wife can use her magic again?" The old woman's voice was full of amusement. "Perhaps you should read her mind, just to make sure my treatment has worked!"

Akkarin, who had fully intended to do just that, was annoyed that Morwhellin had suggested it. It would reinforce the impression that he danced to her tune. He stared at her coolly.

"Do you feel it necessary, Morwhellin?"

The old witch smiled openly, pleased at his response, "It would set your mind at rest, Black Magician. Lady Sonea has told me how much her Dark Lord cares about her and I'm sure she would want you to know."

Suddenly, he wished she would stop using words like Black Magician to refer to him.

"Address me as High Lord," he snapped. "It is not appropriate to refer to magicians by the colour of their robes."

Her smile broadened, "I am not describing your robes…High Lord."

It was if someone had poured cold water down his back. He remembered that the father of the child, Alysa, was an Ichani. _Just how much does the old witch know?_

Morwhellin turned towards Sonea, saying, "Don't be concerned, Lord Akkarin, your secret is safe with me. Who would believe an old Elyne witch, anyway…"

He watched as she placed her hand over Sonea's forehead and he felt buzzing again. She murmured something he couldn't catch and he saw his wife nod.

"Come, Akkarin, read my mind and tell me if the balefire has gone." Sonea's voice was firm. "I want you to know the truth."

He took her hand and concentrated. He slipped into her mind and went to the door which covered Sonea's magic source. As usual, it wouldn't open to his touch, but he could see the light shining brightly underneath, clean, white light with no hint of purple to dampened its brightness.

He opened his eyes and smiled down at Sonea, "All is as it should be. There is no trace of the purple tinge. The balefire has gone."

_Thanks be to the Eye of Heaven_, she sent_. And thanks to Morwhellin too. Be kind to her Akkarin. She has worked very hard._

He nodded and turned to the old woman, "My wife and I are very grateful to you, Morwhellin, for all your hard work in treating Sonea. We will pay your price and accept Alysa into the Guild. Is there anything else you require?"

"Thank you Lord Akkarin, Lady Sonea. My price is simply that you train Alysa in her Kyralian magic and make her a good, strong magician, nothing more. She has learned everything she needs to know about my magic. It is up to you now." For once, the old woman seemed sincere, with no hidden traces of maliciousness. She went on, "I shall be returning to Elyne in a day or so and you will not see me again."

"Akkarin?" Sonea turned to him eagerly, "There's just one thing. I would like Alysa for my novice, so she can live here in the residence and we can work together."

His blood ran cold, "I don't think that a very good idea, Sonea. You have a lot to do without having a novice to take care of."

Sonea's face settled into determined lines, "I will have her for my novice, Akkarin. You cannot stop me!"

He glanced at Morwhellin and saw the triumph in her eyes. He moved towards her swiftly and grabbed her arm in a painful grip, "What have you done, you old bitch?" he hissed, ignoring a cry of protest from Sonea.

The old woman let her triumph spread across her features, "I have bespelled your wife and all she wants is to have the child as her novice." Her voice was low, so Sonea couldn't hear. "If you refuse her, she will hate you for the rest of your life…"

There was nothing he could do. He couldn't force Morwhellin to lift her spell, as there was no telling what hidden damage could be caused to Sonea. He was sickened by the knowledge of his powerlessness and the fact that he would have to give in to Sonea's request. He dropped the witch's arm and turned away. He needed a good slug of wine, but there was none in the room.

"Akkarin?" Sonea's voice was full of impatience, "What's wrong? Why don't you want me to have Alysa as my novice?"

He could feel her tension rising as he remained silent and he didn't want to provoke any feelings of hatred in her. He forced himself to smile reassuringly at her, "You've been so ill and a novice is quite a responsibility, are you sure you can cope with the workload? There's also the fact that you will soon have two little children of your own to look after. I don't want you to be overworked."

Sonea grinned in relief, "Oh, that's what's bothering you! Don't worry, Morwhellin says I am back to normal and there won't be any effects from the balefire to worry me. Anyway, Alysa will be able to help me with the children." She laughed softly, "It's time there was another occupant of the Novice's Room. Think how cheerful the Residence became, the last time there was a novice here!"

_Alright, Sonea_, he sent, _you may have your little novice, but if she becomes too much trouble, she will have to live in the Novices' Quarters._

He was rewarded by Sonea rushing into his arms and kissing him several times. Over her head, his eyes met those of Morwhellin. The old witch was smiling back at him, but her eyes remained cold and calculating.

"You are wise indeed, High Lord," she said mockingly. "My Alysa is a good child and I shall ensure she understands what she has to do."

She turned and left them in the library, closing the door quietly behind her, well pleased with the progress of her plan.


	49. Traps

Disclaimer: I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Traps**

It was the first time Sonea had been outside the Residence during daytime for months. She paused at the top of the steps and took a slow glance around. The day was warm and there was the sound of birdsong in the distance. She took a deep breath and turned to the High Lord.

"I'd forgotten just how wonderful the outside is!" she said happily. "It's such a relief to be out of that bare room and into the sunshine."

Akkarin smiled at her, pleased to see her back where she belonged, free of the anxieties she had suffered since losing control over her magic. She was once again dressed in Warrior red, but with the much more voluminous outer robe pregnant magicians traditionally wore. She was going off to meet up with her Warrior students for the first time since the battle and he was relieved that her life seemed to be returning to normal.

Akkarin watched her progress until she disappeared out of the gates of the Residence, then turned and went to the guest room where he was expecting Morwhellin. She was not there, of course, still making sure that she was the one to dictate the timing of their meetings. He sat down and poured a glass of his favourite wine and sipped it slowly. He used one or two of his Warrior training mental exercises to keep his thoughts calm and controlled. _I won't let the old woman disturb my concentration_, he thought. _I will not let her affect me_.

Morwhellin arrived a few minutes later and sat down opposite him. She looked at the wine bottle, a faint smile on her lips.

"A little early for wine, isn't it. High Lord," she observed. "Perhaps, for your peace of mind, you should adopt our custom of drinking only water, tea or fruit juice, like your servant, Takan."

Akkarin bit back a sharp comment. _Despite all my efforts, she's done it again! _

"Thank you for your advice, Morwhellin," he said, pleased that his voice remained calm.

"I shall be leaving today," she said abruptly. "It will be better if the child is not told until after I am gone."

"Do you require anything, money, food for the journey, an escort to the border?"

Akkarin was determined she should have no complaint about her treatment, not that he expected her to spread word of where she'd been or what she'd been doing once she was home.

"No thank you, High Lord. I have made my arrangements. As I said, my only price for treating your wife was to have Alysa here, in the Guild. She is a hard-working child and will be loyal if she is treated fairly."

"Will she go home to Elyne for the holidays or will you travel here to see her?"

Morwhellin stared directly into his eyes, as she said, "No the child is to remain here and not go back to Elyne. I shall not see her in this life again. There is a darkness within me which is eating my life. I do not have long left. My last task was to settle the child and this, I have done." Her voice was matter-of-fact and Akkarin could hear no emotion.

"There are Healers in the Guild who could examine you…" he started, but the Elyne Witch interrupted him.

"I need no help from your Healers! I know everything there is to know about what consumes me." She answered his unspoken question, "And, no, Alysa doesn't know and you will not tell her. She has enough to worry her without this knowledge."

"As you wish," Akkarin said. "Is there anything further?"

The old woman stood, "I have been teaching the child a few words of Kyralian, but, of course, you are a fluent speaker of Elyne, High Lord, so I expect you will be able to help, especially as she will be living here."

Akkarin allowed a hint of his annoyance creep into his tone, "You seem to know so much about me, Morwhellin. Where does this knowledge come from?"

She laughed, "I have studied you for a long time, High Lord. Your reputation travels far beyond the borders of your own country. Among my Ichani students, your character is well known; nothing has been hidden from me. I know all about your life in the Wastelands and your treachery. I know what you learned and how you learned it." Her voice was, to his ear, suddenly filled with menace, "I…know…what…you…are!"

The added emphasis caused a shiver to run down his spine, but he continued to look at her calmly.

"I don't know what you mean, Morwhellin," he responded, challenge in his tone.

She smiled and for a moment, he could see traces of the pretty young girl she had once been, "As you like, High Lord. There is one further piece of information you might find useful. I've already told you that Alysa's father was an Ichani. His name was Kariko."

He had been half-expecting it, but even so, he was disturbed by the implications. _What a weapon she has introduced into the heart of the Guild_, he thought, _The child of the man I killed. _

He was silent, still thinking though the possible consequences. _But it's all too convenient_, he thought finally. _What are the odds on such a thing? The old bitch is trying to unsettle me, after using Sonea to get what she wanted!_

Akkarin allowed a small smile to form on his lips, "Thank you for that information, Morwhellin. I shall remember it."

She stared back at him for a moment, then turned away. "I shall take my leave of you, Black Magician, and wish you all the rewards your past behaviour merits."

After she had gone, he refreshed his wine glass and took a long swallow. He was not sorry to see the back of her and only regretted that she had left her granddaughter behind…. _in the Residence! _He was still angry at how she had out-manoeuvred him. That thought led him to Sonea.

He sipped his wine and let his mind wander through the memories of Sonea, his young Novice. Sonea the Defiant, Sonea the Rude, and Sonea the Disdainful. Yes, all of those words described the first few weeks of their relationship. A crooked smile formed on his lips as he remembered some of her most cutting phrases, the way her lip curled slightly when she looked at him. _Little did I know what all of that concealed,_ _that she was falling in love with me and fighting it with all her strength._

He sipped some more of the rich red liquid as he moved on to memories of their early days of passion. The fear of discovery and the delight of possession, how that had caused him so much grief until at last, he accepted that she was necessary to him.

_Yet, I would be free of her_, he gave a small start of surprise as this thought popped into his mind. _In many ways, she weakens me, despite her strength in the struggle against the Ichani_. _She distracts me from my purpose, even now, when I have a serious plot against me in the Guild, I have been concentrating on her instead of dealing with it._

_And now, the old witch has used her to force the child on me. If she can bespell Sonea to act against my strong wishes, what other traps has she left?_

His mind ran on and on, trying to second-guess Morwhellin's plan, for there was no doubt she had one. There were so many things which could go wrong; so many people she could have enchanted, but after a while, he stopped. It was no use simply going over old ground. He would have to wait until something happened, and then deal with it as best he could.

He suddenly noticed that he had sipped his way through the entire contents of the bottle of Anuran Dark. He couldn't remember refilling his glass, a bad sign, he decided. He heard the front door close heavily and then, Sonea's mental voice rang out.

_Akkarin, I have so much to tell you!_

She came in, eyes sparkling, already chattering about her friends and he was struck anew by her charm and vitality, so different from his own melancholy nature. His spirits lifted as he rose to greet her.

_She is good for me_, he decided. _She brings me joy and, above all, hope. I cannot be without her now and I long for the twins to be born, so that we can once again discover the delight of being in each other's arms, making love until dawn…._

He noticed that she was gazing at him strangely and laughed.

"I was thinking about you," he said in answer to her unspoken question.

He watched the colour flood her cheeks as her eyes looked directly into his.

_I love you so much_, she sent.


	50. Lady Sonea's Novice

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world, it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Lady Sonea's Novice**

It seemed to Alysa that ever since Morwhellin had revealed she must stay in the Guild, her world had been spinning out of control. Everything seemed to happen so fast. They had been treating Lady Sonea for weeks, no obvious signs of progress at all, then suddenly, Morwhellin declared that the balefire had gone and Lady Sonea was ready to rejoin her husband.

Alysa still couldn't quite grasp how it had happened. _One minute it was all spells, incantations and moon dancing, the next the door was opened and it was all over_, she mused. She went over it all again in her mind, but this time, she remembered one crucial fact. _My moon cycles_, she thought. _They started a few days before the cure. Perhaps that was what Morwhellin was waiting for! _

She was well aware of the importance of moon cycles for her Elyne magic. It was only when these started, that a young witch came fully into her powers. She remembered her grandmother had increased the pace of her lessons, as if time was running out, as indeed it turned out to be.

No one had told her when Morwhellin was to leave. She had gone to bed one evening as usual, but the next morning, her grandmother's bed was empty and her meagre possessions gone. Viola, Lady Sonea's servant, had woken her and passed over the message Morwhellin had left. It didn't say much, she remembered, merely that she was now alone in her new place and how she must do her best to learn the Kyralian magic.

A little while later, Lady Sonea had come to see her.

"You will have your own room, now," she had said, speaking slowly so that Alysa would understand. "It's the one I used when I became the High Lord's Novice, so I know you will like it. I have many happy memories of studying with my Guardian and I will be able to spend time, helping you with your studies."

Alysa had stared at her curiously. Morwhellin had explained the spell she'd implanted which made Lady Sonea want to have her for her novice and what would happen if the High Lord forbade it. Alysa felt guilty that such a thing had been done, but Morwhellin had dismissed her concerns contemptuously. Alysa had continued to worry about it for a few days, before the pressure to learn more and more magic had caused her to put it to one side. Now, all she could see was Lady Sonea's apparent happiness at the prospect of becoming the young Elyne girl's guardian.

Deep down, Alysa was very happy about it too because she liked Lady Sonea very much. It did cross her mind that perhaps her grandmother had bespelled her too, but she decided not to think about how it happened and just get on with things.

So, here she was, sitting at her desk in her comfortable room, working on her Kyralian grammar. She had already spent a couple of hours copying out verb tables and completing some exercises. She loathed the language study, but it was obvious that she must quickly master the foreign tongue, otherwise she wouldn't be able to understand any of the lessons.

She was due to start classes when the next intake of students arrived in a few weeks. She was already wearing the brown novice's robes, gradually getting used to the feel of the strange trousers and shirt and the three-quarter-length novice magician's robe which was worn on top.

"The colour's horrible," she said out loud. "The material doesn't feel very nice and I look like a walking mud pile!"

She pushed the books aside and stood up. She walked over to the mirror and studied her reflection. She thought she had grown a little since coming to Imardin. She was nearly as tall as Lady Sonea now. The pale oval of her face peeped out, half-hidden, from under her wild mass of dark red hair, her dark green eyes staring intently at her image. _No_, she thought, _These horrible brown clothes don't look any better when I can see the whole of me! _

The door opened and Lady Sonea came into the room. She laughed when she saw her novice staring into the mirror.

"It's strange, isn't it?" she said cheerfully, "I remember the first time I put on robes, all that material getting in the way. I was used to much more practical garments, clothes you could climb buildings in!"

She came over and stood next to Alysa and regarded their two images. _I was right_, Alysa thought, _I am nearly as tall as her_. She looked at Sonea, and thought how the deep red of the Warrior's robe suited her. _Shall I be a Warrior?_ she wondered. _I'm surprised Morwhellin didn't leave orders telling me which section to join!_

Lady Sonea must have been thinking along similar lines, because she said, "I'm not sure Warrior red would suit you with that hair! The Guild has lots of complicated rules about what magicians can and cannot wear and such a limited range of colours – red, green or purple for the most part, dark blue for the Administrator and black for the High Lord, nothing else except novice brown of course. Now let's see about that hair."

She sat Alysa down in a chair and proceeded to brush the tangles from her thick curls.

"You'll have to keep your hair tidy when you attend classes, you know. Perhaps you should have it cut short."

"Oh no!" Alysa said quickly, "I can't cut my hair. We never cut our hair, it's one of our rules!"

Sonea regarded her steadily for a moment, then said, "Well, you're in the Guild now, not running free in your mountain village. There will be a lot of things you'll have to do you wouldn't do at home. It will be hard work…..I know, it was the same for me."

She looked down at the child and patted her gently on the shoulder, "All right, no hair cutting for now, but you must keep it out of the way." She began to plait the hair into a single thick rope which reached almost to Alysa's waist. "There, that'll do for now."

Alysa stared at her reflection. She looked so different with her hair pulled tightly back, leaving her whole face exposed. She sighed. _I suppose I'll have to get used to lots of new things, now….._

Sonea checked her work and nodded approvingly, "You're making good progress with the written work, you seem to understand what I say, and you are much more fluent now, so by the time your classes start, you will be able to cope." She flicked over a few pages, "Now, try this exercise. I'll be back later to see how you've been getting on."

oooOOOooo

Akkarin was working through some papers, when Sonea came into the library. He looked up and smiled warmly. These days, he was always pleased to see her.

"And how is your novice getting on?" he asked.

She came over and dropped a kiss on his cheek, "I've just left her working through the grammar book." She grinned suddenly, "I don't think she likes her new robes! I found her frowning at her image in the mirror."

Akkarin fetched her a glass of fruit juice and encouraged her to sit in a comfortable chair. The birth wasn't very far away now, and she tired easily. He waited until she was settled before handing her the drink. As she sipped, he studied her surface thoughts and as he expected, they were taken up with the girl.

_I curse you to hell and back Morwhellin_, he thought savagely_. Foisting that child on us in such a way that I can do nothing about it!_

He had tried several times to deep read Sonea's mind in an effort to discover where the spell was hidden, but he had found nothing. The witch was cleverer than he had expected, which made him angrier still. He had experimented with making suggestions that perhaps the child would be better off in the Novices' Quarters once the term started, or that someone else could share the guardianship of her, but Sonea's expression had grown grim and she had narrowed her eyes in a particularly unpleasant way, so he had desisted. There was no doubt that Morwhellin's threat was true, if he prevented Sonea from having the girl close to her, she would hate him. _And I cannot risk that_, he thought.

He became aware that she had stopped talking and was looking at him expectantly, so he was forced to confess he hadn't been listening.

"Typical!" Sonea said, a mock frown on her face, "Just mention childbirth, and men just find something else to think about!"

_Very understandable_, he thought, but schooled his face to show nothing of that feeling.

"I was saying that Vinara thinks the birth could happen anytime now and she wants to have a Healer staying in the Residence, just in case. She's got one from that village…..oh, I forget the name, but it's the one where there are a lot of twin births. Anyway, this Healer, Willen, I think her name is, has arrived and Vinara wants her to move in today. You don't mind, do you?"

She looked at him anxiously, as she remembered his dislike of having a lot of strangers in his Residence. He could easily read her concern and moved quickly to reassure her.

"No, of course not. If Vinara thinks it necessary, then Willen must come as soon as possible."

She smiled at him, "It will soon be over and I shall be so pleased. I feel like an enormous elephant and the sooner I can get back to my Warrior training, the happier I shall be."

OooOOOooo

Alysa threw down the book and stretched her shoulders. She had finally finished and now all she had to worry about was dinner. Every evening, she had to dine with Lady Sonea and her husband. She had finally stopped thinking about him as the Black Sorcerer, but couldn't bring herself to refer to him as Lord Akkarin or High Lord. To her, he would always be the Dark Lord and she avoided using his name or title when speaking to him. In fact, she avoided speaking to him at all, if she could possibly avoid it.

Now that her powers were fully developed, she was even more conscious of the dark, swirling cloud which surrounded him. She could see darker tendrils amongst the sinister fingers of power which enclosed him completely. Occasionally there were silver flashes, almost as if there were silent lightning strikes in the cloud. He had caught her staring at him on a couple of occasions and she could feel his power bearing down on her, trying to get into her mind, but she could repel him much more easily now and he had been unable to penetrate her defences.

She could feel his frustration and the last time, she had allowed some of her glee at his discomfiture to seep out. He had looked surprised for a moment, before his expression reverted to its usual calm and distant look. She treasured that moment of triumph and often replayed it in her mind.

She glanced at the clock. It was almost time to go down. The Dark Lord didn't like people to be late for meals and Takan certainly didn't. She sighed a little. Morwhellin had obviously left strict instructions about her food because no meat or fish dish was ever offered to her. Luckily, Takan was an excellent and inventive cook, so the vegetable dishes were very tasty. Still, a part of her wanted to taste the forbidden food, but she knew she never would disobey Morwhellin. She sighed again. It was time to go.

_With any luck, I'll be able to keep my eyes on my plate and concentrate on my food_. _If I eat quickly, I can be back here in no time._


	51. Birth

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT World – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Birth**

Lorlen looked over at his friend, who was sitting at his desk pretending to concentrate on the papers in front of him. He smiled inwardly, _Not so calm and collected now, eh High Lord?_ he thought to himself. They had been sitting in Akkarin's library for a couple of hours now, while outside in the hall and stairs, there was a continuous noise of people scurrying up and down, in and out, with distant doors opening and closing with dull regularity.

Lorlen cleared his throat and, as he hoped, Akkarin looked up.

"Did you say something Lorlen?" he asked.

"No….but I wondered if you needed some refreshments or something."

The High Lord looked pointedly at the large cup of steaming tea next to his papers.

_Nice try_, he sent. _If you have things to do, you needn't wait…._

Lorlen gave up. "Look, Akkarin, it's perfectly natural to be nervous at a time like this, especially with it being twins. Just tell me what's on your mind, after all, as the saying goes, "…a trouble shared is a trouble halved…"

"And you are such an expert on childbirth, I suppose. Remind me, just how many children do you have?"

Lorlen pulled a face, "All right, I don't have any as well you know! But I do have several sisters, all of whom are married with two or three children apiece, so I've plenty of experience. I've waited on the births for two of my nieces and a nephew over the years." He grinned, "In my family, they all seem to wait to give birth until I am on my holidays!"

Akkarin got up and began to pace around the room. Although, on the surface, he maintained his usual gliding motion, seemingly to move with no apparent effort, Lorlen could hear the subtle hiss of his robes as the silk was disturbed by his agitated strides. Akkarin looked at the clock, then moved a number of ornaments around on a nearby chest. He pulled a few books out of the bookcase and flipped through them. Tiring of that, he went back to his desk, but didn't sit in the chair. Instead he perched himself on the edge and looked at Lorlen, a crooked smile on his lips.

"You're right, as usual, Lorlen, I am…..concerned. Vinara led me to believe that things were progressing well and the birth would take a matter of moments, with all the expert help from Willen. It's been going on since early this morning and no one will tell me anything. I sent a mental enquiry to Vinara earlier and she told me to "…go away…." in no uncertain terms."

Lorlen made a sympathetic noise, but he couldn't really blame Vinara for being terse. After all, who wants to have mental messages pouring in from a worried father when concentration was required? He just hoped that nothing would go wrong. He remembered how Akkarin had been when Sonea was injured. If anything happened to her or the twins, the High Lord would take it badly, with all the implications of that for the Guild.

Lorlen wished he could say something profound which would ease Akkarin's mind. _It would have been easy, a few years ago, _he thought sadly. _We were close; close friends, close colleagues, but now…Our relationship has never really recovered from that difficult time when I suspected him of such terrible things. It doesn't seem to matter how much I tell him I understand everything and I support him fully in everything he does, my friend, my only really close friend, no longer trusts me completely._

Lorlen became aware that Akkarin was speaking and hastily tried to catch up with the conversation.

"…..never really understood what the old witch did," the High Lord was saying. "She disappeared into that room with Sonea and the girl and weeks later, she emerged saying Sonea was cured. No clue to what she had done or how a similar situation could be avoided. Nothing. Nothing at all."

"But she did cure Sonea, surely that's all that matters," Lorlen couldn't understand why this was still worrying Akkarin.

"Yes, but how? More importantly, why? I have no reason to trust her…." He stopped suddenly and stared into space for a moment.

"I must go, Vinara has asked for me!"

Almost before he'd finished speaking, Akkarin was at the door. Just before leaving the room, he turned and smiled at Lorlen.

"Thank you, old friend, for sitting with me this morning."

The door closed with a sharp click and he was gone. Lorlen couldn't help feeling a small warm glow inside at Akkarin's words. _Perhaps things __**will **__get back to how it was before, _he thought.

OoOOOooo

Akkarin climbed the stairs rapidly. Vinara's message had been short, with no hint of any problems, but he couldn't help feeling anxious. He paused outside the room, strangely reluctant to enter.

_Vinara?_ he sent, _I'm here._

_Well come in, then, _she responded and he could hear traces of amusement in her voice.

The strange hollow feeling in his stomach receded. _It must be all right!_

He opened the door and paused, taking in the whole room at a glance, before his eyes fixed themselves on the bed. Sonea was lying back against the pillows, eyes closed and her face even paler than usual. For a moment, he feared she had not survived the birth, but then he noticed the steady rise and fall of her chest.

As he sat down on the stool provided for him by the side of the bed, she opened her eyes and smiled at him.

"Akkarin…..have you seen them?"

He shook his head, "Not yet, I wanted to see you first."

He took her hand and bent over to kiss her cheek, "Poor girl," he said softly, "Was it very bad?"

She shook her head, "I don't want to think about it now. I'm so pleased it's all over."

They stayed like that for a few minutes, then Akkarin felt a tap on his shoulder and looked up to see Vinara smiling at him. She was holding a small bundle, which she held out to him.

"Here is your daughter," she said and put the bundle into his awkward arms.

Willen appeared next to Sonea and held out a similar bundle, "And here is your son," she said as she handed the baby to his mother.

Both of them stared down at the small faces peeping out from the folds of material. Akkarin's first thought was how tiny his daughter was, scarcely more than two hands' breadth long. He looked at her face, seeking any traces of Sonea, but finding none, just very pink cheeks and a small, screwed up mouth as the baby cried a little. He looked up to find Sonea closely examining her son's face.

"Two healthy little babies," Vinara's voice was full of satisfaction. "The birth took longer than I'd hoped, but, with Willen's help, nothing untoward happened."

"Thank you Vinara, and you too, Willen. Sonea couldn't have been in better hands." Akkarin's voice trailed away as he returned to studying the child in his arms, lost for a moment in the wonder of it all.

"Yes, thank you both," Sonea added quickly. "I'm glad it's all over and both of them are all right."

She smiled down at her son, "Look, Akkarin, he's staring right back at me!"

"That's most unusual." Willen said and edged closer to have a better look. "You're right, he is staring at you. Look, Vinara, he can focus already."

The two Healers spent some time watching as the boy's eyes followed his mother's movements. Neither had seen anything like it in the very newborn and Vinara wondered about the significance. They checked the girl, but she had the vague, unfocussed gaze of a normal newborn. _I won't say anything yet, but I can't help but wonder if Sonea's illness had some unexpected side effects_, Vinara thought worriedly.

_Say nothing more_, she sent to Willen. _We will examine and test him later_.

"Have you decided on any names yet?" she asked.

Sonea giggled and said, "Well, we've argued over several in the last few days, but I think we have decided on two we both agree with!"

Akkarin nodded, "It hasn't been easy, but we've decided on Yhenna for our daughter and Laton for our son."

"Unusual names, High Lord, I don't think I've heard them before." Vinara murmured.

"Willen and I will leave you alone for a while, but we'll be nearby if you need anything."

As the door closed behind the Healers, Akkarin got up and placed Yhenna in her crib. He did the same with Laton, then came and sat on the bed next to his wife. She snuggled up to him and he felt her arms around him as she laid her head against his chest.

"I missed you," she said quietly. "It's our tradition to have fathers in the room when their wives give birth. I needed someone to hold my hand. I needed you here with me."

Akkarin kept his face still, although inwardly he shuddered at the thought of watching his children being born. _Thank all the stars in the sky it is not our tradition in the Guild, or I don't know how I would have coped,_ he thought.

He pressed her closer to him and murmured, "I was with you in my thoughts! Vinara would never have allowed it, you know."

"I know," she said, "But it didn't stop me wanting you here, next to me."

He continued to hold her and it wasn't long before she slipped into a welcome sleep. He adjusted his position to be more comfortable and gazed over to where his children were lying.

_All their future is before them,_ he thought, _I wonder how it will all turn out._


	52. Rejoice Night

Disclaimer I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Rejoice Night**

Akkarin slid thankfully from his horse and tossed the reins to Takan. He pulled on his outer robe which was hanging on a nearby hook and started to walk back to the Residence. _An other __evening __with __Merin, __another __long __attempt __to __reassure __him_, he thought with some exasperation. _These __private __meetings __are __happening __a __little __too __often __for __my __liking._

Merin was still concerned that his Senior Advisor was trying to engineer a plot to dispose of what he saw as a threat to royal power in the person of the High Lord. The thought that he might lose his friend was driving the King to distraction and Akkarin had to spend a considerable amount of time soothing him. It was very draining and the High Lord had much more interesting things to fill up his time than constantly calming Merin. Yet, at the same time, he was grateful for Merin's friendship and support, which bolstered his position of High Lord and extended royal protection to some of the less than orthodox actions he'd been forced to take recently.

_I __couldn__'__t __have __succeeded __in __holding __on __to __my __position __without __him_, he acknowledged to himself. _I__'__m __sure __Balkan __would __have __discovered __my __secret __eventually __and __he __would __have __followed __the __law, __regardless __of __the __circumstances. __He __would __have __roused __the __Guild against me __and __I __would __have __been __unable __to __stop __it._

It was only a short walk from the High Lord's private stables to the Residence, but Akkarin lingered along the route. Although it was not very late, the sky was already black, with only faint pinpricks of light where the first brave stars twinkled. The fully open Eye of Heaven was starting its nightly journey, casting a silvery light over trees and buildings. He stopped and listened. He could hear no sound apart from a distant scurrying where some small animal was on the prowl. He took a deep breath; the air was cool, with the first hints of colder weather to come. He felt strangely at peace and had to fight off a desire to stay outdoors and savour the feeling.

He knew that was out of the question. Tonight was Rejoice Night, not its official name of course, but it represented exactly four weeks after the birth of Yhenna and Laton, and in the Houses, traditionally it was a night of great celebration, where friends and family brought gifts for the newly born and the proud parents offered a banquet in return. Sonea, Viola and Takan had been planning things for some time now, so he had no doubt that the Guild would see a spectacular gathering.

He threw off his languor and walked brusquely towards the front door which opened silently for him. He could hear the sounds of frantic preparation coming from the guest rooms and made a bolt for the stairs before anyone could stop him to ask questions.

Sonea was not upstairs in their room, but he could see from heaps of discarded items of clothing that she had already changed into her new clothes. He stripped off the court clothes he had worn for his private visit to the King, and took a quick bath, using magic to dry himself and his hair in order to save time. He had chosen his clothes for the evening with care, tight trousers of a particularly fine dark green material, black knee high boots, a cream silk shirt with flowing sleeves, caught at each wrist with lace ruffles. A dark green sleeveless jerkin, heavily embroidered in red and silver completed his outfit. He looked at his image in the large mirror and thought that Sonea would be satisfied. _She__'__s __right, __you __are __conceited!_ he thought ruefully. He toyed with the idea of leaving his hair loose, but decided that was probably too much of a change for many of his Guild guests. He chose a matching green velvet ribbon and swiftly tied his hair back in its usual style. He sorted through a box until he found a gold ring with his family's incal and a jewelled pin to fix in the lace at his neck_. __Finished __at __last! _Years of dressing in robes had lessened his appetite for the glamorous clothes of a noble and now he found those occasions when he was obliged to wear them rather tedious.

He glanced at the clock, it was only a few minutes before the first guests were expected.

_Takan,_ he sent_,__Is __everything __ready?_

_Of __course,__Master. __Did __you __doubt __it? _Takan's mental voice sounded offended.

Akkarin laughed, _Just __checking! __Is __Lady __Sonea __with __you?_

_She's in the dining room._

Akkarin went in search of her and found her deep in conversation with the small group of servants who were going to serve the guests. He stood and watched her for a moment. She was dressed in her very expensive dress, ordered specially for the occasion. It was a pale silvery green, embroidered around the hem in darker green and sewn with tiny pearls. There were more pearls in her hair and around her neck. She didn't care for ruffles and flounces, so she had chosen a rather plain dress when compared with the latest fashion, but it suited her compact figure to perfection. He had not seen her look so beautiful since their marriage day.

Sonea turned and caught sight of him and grinned. "Just in time, High Lord," she said. "I was beginning to think I must send Takan to search for you!"

He moved towards her and took her hand, "You look charming, as usual," he raised her hand to his lips. He saw the blush spread across her face at the gesture and laughed softly. "You may start a new fashion for twins in the Guild, when the ladies see just how well you look."

Her blush deepened and she turned away in confusion. He was still enchanted by the way she suddenly became shy whenever he complimented her, so unlike her usual forthright manner. He would liked to have made a few more compliments, just so he could see the colour in her usually pale cheeks, but he could hear sounds of guests beginning to arrive.

"We must get ready to face the world," he said reluctantly, "Shall we go together?"

She took his hand and, smiling, they walked into the hall to greet the first of their invited guests. It was several hours later before they were able to usher the last of them out of the Residence. Sonea closed the door with a great sigh of relief.

"I'm so glad that's over," she groaned, "I think my smile is stuck to my face, which aches terribly from being so nice to so many people for such a long time! There is a limit to the number of different ways of saying 'thank you' to people for their gifts and good wishes!"

They went into the library and sat gratefully down in the comfortable chairs by the fire. Akkarin handed her a glass of Anuran Dark and, taking his own glass, raised it in a toast.

"Here's to a very successful evening!" He clinked his glass with hers and they both took a sip. "But let's hope it's a long time before we have to do that again!"

She smiled at him over the rim of her glass, "Just what are you saying, High Lord?"

It was his turn to feel the colour flood into his face, "You know perfectly well what I mean, Sonea!"

She stared at him appraisingly, "You look particularly fine tonight. You would have been a pretty ornament at Court if you had not had magic. Ladies would have flung themselves at your feet in their hundreds….."

"Perhaps they did anyway….." he said archly, then ducked as a small cushion flew his way.

They finished their wine and silence fell between them. The library fire had dwindled down to a faint red glow and noises from the guest rooms and kitchen had gradually died away as the servants finished their work and went to find their beds. It seemed as if only the High Lord and his wife were awake in the Residence.

"Well…." Akkarin started, "I suppose it is time to get some rest after all the excitement."

"Yes, I suppose so," Sonea said, a faint reluctance in her voice. "It was a good party, wasn't it?"

Silence fell again and they looked at one another for a moment, then Akkarin said gently, "I'll just have a little more wine. You go up and I'll join you in a moment."

He watched as she left the room, quietly shutting the door behind her. He smiled to himself. The official name of the celebration they had just shared was One Month Night, but it got its unofficial name because it marked the end of the time new mothers were expected to live apart from their husbands. So Rejoice Night was the first time tradition allowed new parents to resume lovemaking_. __It__'__s __strange,_ he mused, _We __have __been __married __all __this __time, __shared __beds __and __made __war, __experienced __joy __and __sorrow, __absence __and __reunion __and __created __babies, __yet __both __of __us __are __feeling __a __little __hesitant. __It__'__s __like __a __marriage __night __all __over __again!_

He put down his glass and looked at the clock. Surely Sonea had had enough time to get herself settled. He left the library swiftly and went upstairs. The door to their room was closed, but he could see a faint light showing around the edges. He opened the door quietly and went in.

Sonea was reclining gracefully on the bed wearing nothing except her pearls. It was such a surprise, he stopped dead and just stared at her. She broke into peals of laughter, "If only you could see your face!" she said between giggles, "It was worth it, just to see your face!"

He strode to the bed and gathered her in his arms, "You are inviting trouble, lying there like that!" he said fiercely between kisses. "Such behaviour deserves punishment."

He felt her hands tug at his clothing as she breathed into his ear, "I will accept anything you choose to do, High Lord….."

He was never sure afterwards exactly how his clothes disappeared, all he could remember was lying with Sonea in his arms, as his fingers traced patterns on her pale skin, feeling her kisses cover his face and mouth. _It__'__s __been __so __long __since __I__'__ve __held __her __like __this. __So __long__…__.._

Conscious thought stopped as he gave in to the needs of his body, lost in a world of whispered sighs and warm, eager flesh. He could feel Sonea's hands drifting over his back and thighs as she arched her body beneath him. All too soon their passion reached its peak and they were cast, breathless, back into the real world once again.

He shifted his position until Sonea lay enclosed in his arms, her head resting against his chest and it seemed they dosed for a while. Then he heard her whisper his name softly.

"Akkarin, Akkarin….."

_What __is__i t?_ he sent.

_There__'__s __so __much __I __want __to __say __to __you __but __I __can__'__t __find __the __words_.

Her mental voice was soft and he could sense feelings of regret behind the words. He murmured something soothing. Then her words resumed in his mind.

_I love you so much and yet I have treated you so badly. I don't know how you can ever forgive me._

_You saved my life. You have nothing to be sorry for._

_But I do! I was selfish and horrible when I lost my magic. I didn't think about what you might have felt, only about me. Then I ran away and left you alone when you had so many other problems to deal with. I gave you something else to worry about and you had to spend precious time searching for me._

He could feel her distress through their mental link and tried to reassure her. The last thing they both needed was Sonea making herself ill again.

_Yes, it was difficult, but I coped with it all. I found you, brought you home again, and that is all that matters._

_Vinara made me see just how dreadful I had been to you. I was too selfish to see that clearly before. _

He was surprised that Vinara had become involved in the situation. He had always liked her, but she had never been interested in his personal affairs before. He made no reply, but concentrated instead on using his hands and lips to distract Sonea's melancholy thoughts and in that task he was very successful.

They slipped easily into the rhythms of lovemaking and even the breaking of the thread holding Sonea's necklace together, and the scattering of the milky pearls in the bed and on the floor did not interrupt them as wave after wave of passion swept through them until the climax came, fierce and deep, like the love they had for each other.


	53. First Day

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT World – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**First Day**

Alysa looked at herself in the mirror. _No,__nothing__has__improved!_She hated the novice's robes she had to wear, the colour and feel of the material made her skin itch and as for the loose trousers and shirt she wore underneath _The__less__said__about__them,__the__better!_ She thought fondly of the simple clothes she had worn in her village, the soft wool in winter and the cool cotton garments, so right for the summer heat and such pretty colours too, greens, blues and yellows, not this mud coloured excuse for a garment she was forced to wear every day.

She continued to stare at her reflection. Not only did she have to go about dressed like a pile of dirt, her hair, of which she was so proud, had to be tamed and plaited tightly into a long rope which hung down her back. She pulled a face, _Lady__Sonea__said__I__would__get__used__to__it__as__she__did__but__I__wonder__how__many__years__it__will__take._

It was almost breakfast time and she had learned not to be late. Not only did the Dark Lord frown at her, but Takan made it plain by the way he plonked her food down, that he did not appreciate lateness when he had spent time getting the food exactly right.

She had been living on her own in the Residence for almost two months, practising her new language and learning about the Guild from Lady Sonea. There was such a lot to remember, but luckily a poor memory had never been one of her problems. She had heard nothing from Morwhellin, nor did she expect to. Her grandmother had made it plain that she was to stay in the Guild until she had qualified as a Magician and all her efforts must be directed to that end. As to what would happen afterwards, Alysa had no idea. She assumed that somehow, Morwhellin would contrive to let her know what to do.

It was not all work, though. She spent a lot of time with the twins, helping the nursemaids look after them. She particularly enjoyed bath time, when Laton would splash about and laugh as he caught his sister in a shower of droplets. Yhenna, in contrast, was a quiet baby, she sat in the water passively and made no effort to join in Laton's games. Looking at them, it was hard to remember they were twins, Laton appeared to be older by several months.

Alysa noticed too that Sonea was drawn to Laton while the Dark Lord seemed to prefer his daughter. Although both parents were attentive to both children, deep down they did appear to each have a favourite. Alysa had no experience of families with twins, so she supposed that it was normal for parents to take one baby each.

She made her way reluctantly downstairs to the dining room where the Dark Lord and his wife were already eating. She sat down quietly and made her morning greetings. Sonea smiled at her encouragingly, but Akkarin simply nodded and went back to eating. Takan offered her a basket of warm rolls. She took one and helped herself to butter and honey. She glanced sideways at the High Lord; his face bore a slightly distracted expression so she knew he was involved in some mental communication and as Sonea was also showing the same distraction, she guessed they were talking to each other.

Alysa had finally trained herself not to see the tendrils of the Dark Lord's power reaching out for her. Now when she looked at him, she saw only his pale face and dark eyes, so very similar to others in Imardin. She still couldn't understand how Lady Sonea could feel so strongly about him. He was old, after all, and she was young. He was cold while his wife was warm and friendly. He said very little, whereas Sonea often chattered away. No, it was all very strange, but she couldn't deny the depth of feeling between them.

Alysa had not been part of the celebrations of Rejoice Night, but had stayed in her room, working on her language studies. However, later, when all the guests had gone, she had heard Sonea's laughter when the High Lord opened the door to their bedchamber and some time afterwards, Alysa had heard other sounds echoing along the corridor. She had crept from her room and listened at the keyhole until fear of discovery had forced her back to her chamber. She could only understand it by believing that the Dark Lord had cast a spell on Sonea and she vowed she would find a way to release her guardian from his power.

"So, it's here at last – your first day as a novice in the Guild!" Sonea's voice was warm as she smiled at her young charge. "You will be a few months younger than most of your classmates, but that won't matter. I was a bit older than mine, but it's all down to how well you do in your studies, rather than age."

"Remember, all your classmates will be new too, so I expect you will make friends quickly." Sonea smiled at her husband, "Yes, I know, I should have followed my own advice, but it will be different with Alysa." She turned back to the girl, "There will be some students from Elyne too, so I expect you'll have lots to talk about."

"Don't forget it's your first day too," the High Lord said quietly. "Remember what Vinara said, don't go flinging yourself into things straight away, work up to it slowly."

"Yes, High Lord!" Sonea said submissively, but Alysa could see the twinkle in her eyes. "I'll try to remember…"

The rest of the meal passed quickly and it seemed no time at all before Alysa was standing in the hall, box in hand, waiting for her guardian. She was looking forward to her studies. Ever since she could remember, magic had been part of her life and now here was an opportunity to learn a different kind of magic, with different rules and different spells. She was eager to learn and keen to impress Sonea with her prowess.

She looked up as Sonea came down the stairs and for the first time, she saw her fully dressed in her Warrior's uniform, complete with deep red trousers and shirt and inner and outer robes of the same colour. Around her neck she wore her Graduation Medal and a glittering red and white jewel on a gold chain. She looked quite different, distant and business-like, as Alysa had imagined the Guild's teachers would look and for a moment, she didn't know what to do. Then Sonea smiled at her, and at once her friend was back.

"Come on!" Sonea said gaily, "I'll show you where to go."

oooOOOooo

Alysa crept in the kitchen entrance to the Residence. She knew it was unlikely that anyone would see her as the servants were heavily involved in preparing the evening meal. She made a bolt for the door and was soon back in her own room.

It had been worse than she could possibly have imagined. The work was much harden than she had expected. She was a proper Elyne Witch after all, so how hard could the other magic be? The teachers spoke so quickly, she had difficulty understanding their questions. The other students had regarded her attempts to answer with amusement. Worst of all were the students from Elyne. They mocked her country accent and, having discovered where she came from, made rude comments under their breath, making sure she could hear them.

"Lady Sonea's novice?" a pretty young student had said, "We all know where SHE came from!"

"Don't think history repeats itself," another had said. "Don't think YOU could capture a high-born husband…."

Alysa choked back tears. _If__I__wasn__'__t__so__scared__of__what__she__would__do,__I__would__run__away__back__to__Morwhellin__…__.._

But the truth was she was scared of Morwhellin and the idea of disobeying her was not a serious option. _I__must__simply__put__up__with__it_, she concluded after a lot of thought. _Once__I__have__mastered__this__other__magic,__I__will__be__free__of__the__Guild__and__free__of__those__nasty__novices._

One thing she was certain of, she could never, never tell Lady Sonea about her problems, she would simply have to find a way of dealing with them herself.


	54. Truth, Lies and a Sense of Betrayal

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Truth, Lies and a Sense of Betrayal**

Lorlen sat back in his chair and observed his visitor. She seemed a little nervous and he briefly wondered why, she was playing with the sweet cake on her plate and, Lorlen felt, was a little reluctant to meet his eyes. It was the first time he and Sonea had met alone since the time of her marriage. It seemed strange to him that he was no longer constrained in what he could say to her, nor she to him. He had invited her to his office for a reason, but now he was wondering just how to get on with it.

"So Lorlen," she said finally, "Just what did you want to say to me?"

"More tea?" he said quickly, playing for time, but she shook her head.

"I have a lot of work to do and I am expected to accompany Akkarin to Court later this evening. What is it?"

"There's something going on in the Guild which involves Akkarin and I need to find out what it is," he blurted out having given up on finding a more subtle way of introducing the topic.

Sonia's mouth formed a little "o" of surprise, "Have you asked him?" she said quietly. "I'm sure if you needed to know, he would tell you." Her tone was flat and he sensed her anger at his question.

Lorlen looked down, _This __is __very __awkward_, he thought, _What __exactly __do __I __say?_

He looked up, directly at her and said, "No, I haven't asked him. There's still a distance between us and I'm not sure he would tell me if it were anything serious."

"So you decided to ask me instead? Do you think I would tell you things that Akkarin didn't want you to know?" He could hear the thread of anger clearly now.

"I'm sorry, Sonea, I know what it sounds like, but I'm worried. All the trouble over the Ichani came about because Akkarin wouldn't trust anyone else with the knowledge. I don't want him to be in the same position again."

She stared at him, as if trying to gauge the depth of his sincerity. He kept his face still under her scrutiny, inwardly hoping she would believe him.

"Tell me what you know," she said at last.

Lorlen let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding.

"I'm the High Lord's Paymaster," he began. "All those little things High Lords get involved in and don't want the rest of the Guild to know about end up with the Administrator. That's one of the main reasons a good relationship between them is so important."

He paused for a moment as the true meaning of his words sank in. _Would __I __describe __our __relationship __now __as __good? _he wondered. He was conscious of Sonea shifting impatiently in her chair, so forced himself back to what he'd intended to say.

"Well, as part of all that, I pay all the bills associated with his informers and information gatherers."

"His spies!" Sonea interjected.

Lorlen smiled ruefully, "Yes, I suppose you could call them spies! Anyway, I know most of them as I've been paying them for years. One, in particular, has made a very good living out of the High Lord's commissions – I know him well and have met with him frequently over the years. The other day I came across him in the Guild. He's working as a servant in the Magicians' Quarters and has been there, it seems, for some time."

Lorlen finished speaking and looked at Sonea expectantly, but her face remained expressionless and she said nothing. _Not __going __to __help, __then_, he thought crossly.

He went on, "As far as I know, he is not on any official business for the High Lord because I have not had any requests for payment for him. So what's he doing in the Guild?"

Sonea laughed briefly, "And you expect me to know what some servant is doing in the Magicians' Quarters! I suggest you ask the Head Housekeeper, I'm sure she'll be able to detail all his duties."

Lorlen sighed. "Be serious, Sonea, and think about it. Here's one of Akkarin's favoured informers working in the Guild as a servant. Do you think he suddenly wanted a quiet life being paid a servant's wage rather than the heavy purses he usually gets?"

"I still don't understand why you think this has anything to do with a plot or something involving Akkarin." Sonea said impatiently. "Is this all the information you have, that someone Akkarin employed in the past is now working in a different job in the Guild? And from that you have decided that there is something '….going on…..' as you put it?"

By this time, Lorlen was close to losing his temper. He had always liked Sonea and had felt bad about what had happened to her when Akkarin had acquired her as his Novice. He had always regarded her as an ally who, given freedom of movement, would be on his side. Now, however, he was wondering if he ever really knew her at all.

"I have not been asked to pay this man, not for months, and the only conclusion I can come to is that Akkarin is paying him personally to spy, as you put it, on someone living in the Magicians' Quarters. This is a serious matter affecting the Guild and whether you or Akkarin like it or not, my first duty as Administrator is to ensure that things are being done correctly and that there are no hidden actions being carried out against Guild members."

"Lorlen, do you really think that Akkarin would endanger the Guild? After all that has happened with the Ichani and the risks he took to keep everything safe, do you really think that Akkarin is plotting the Guild's downfall?" Two bright spots of colour had appeared in Sonea's cheeks as her words fell over themselves in an effort to press her case.

"You have to admit, Sonea, that Akkarin's record in being honest and open with me, not to say with other Higher Magicians, is not very good. Can a man change his behaviour? He was used to keeping secrets for years, that sort of thing can become an unconscious habit. Are you sure he tells you everything?"

Sonea's eyes fell beneath Lorlen's knowing gaze. "I'm sure Akkarin has good reasons for what he does," she said quietly. "I trust him with my life, and so should you!"

"How close did he come to disaster, Sonea?" Lorlen's voice was firm. "How many times did he come back injured from those struggles with the magicians the Ichani sent? What would have happened if you hadn't helped him? Where would he be now if he hadn't persuaded the Inner Council, and the King, that High Lords were meant to learn Black Magic? What could still happen to him if anyone on the Inner Council realises that he learned Black Magic BEFORE he became High Lord, in direct contravention of his vows and Kyralian law?"

Sonea's face suddenly paled as she took in Lorlen's words. What he said was perfectly true. Somehow in the discussions over the battle with the Ichani and Akkarin's talk of Guild history and why High Lords wore black, no one had seemed to pick up the crucial fact of when Akkarin had become a Black Magician. No one, that is, except Lorlen.

Lorlen went on, "My fear is that he is somehow involved in something as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than things were before. If you know what's going on, tell me, for his sake, if not for any other reason."

"I don't know anything, Lorlen." Her voice was dispassionate and cool and was the final straw for the harassed Administrator.

"I see," his voice was as cold as hers. "It must be quite a game you play, you and Akkarin. What lies can we tell Lorlen today! It must have been an endless source of amusement to you both telling me all those lies about being forced to live in the Residence, of being forced to marry, of being afraid of what would happen to your friends! I expect you laughed and laughed as you lay in each other's arms every night thinking how poor old Lorlen was worrying himself sick about well-being of a young and innocent girl at risk of being ruined by a ruthless Black Magician."

There was silence for a moment, then Sonea spoke. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Lorlen. Neither Akkarin, nor I, took any pleasure in what had to be done. I ask you to believe that. Akkarin was and is your friend. He would have told you if he thought it was the best course of action."

Lorlen gazed at her steadily, "So lying to me was something you had to do, not something you wanted to do?"

Sonea nodded.

"And you would now always tell me the truth?" he went on.

Sonea nodded again.

"Well, now that you have made that very clear, would you answer me one question?"

Sonea stared at him for a moment, a crease appearing briefly between her eyes, finally she nodded for a third time.

"Sonea, did Akkarin teach you black magic?"

Sonea was paler than ever, but she looked directly at him, not flinching from his searching gaze. There was a tiny pause, then she said, "No, Lorlen, he did not teach me black magic."

Lorlen felt his heart stop, then start to beat again painfully. _I __do __not __believe __her!_ he thought wearily. _She __is __still __lying_ _to __me. __She __will __always __lie __to __protect __Akkarin __and __he __will __always __lie __to __protect __her. __I __can __never __trust __either __of __them __ever __again__…_

Lorlen stood up, "Thank you for coming, Sonea. I shall have to make other enquiries."

She got to her feet and turned towards the door, then twisted her head over her shoulder to look at him, "What I said was true, Lorlen. Akkarin is your friend and would never do anything to hurt you or the Guild."

Lorlen nodded, his face expressionless, "Goodbye, Sonea. Enjoy your time at Court this evening."


	55. Spymaster

Disclaimer: I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Spymaster**

"What did you say?"

Akkarin dragged his attention away from the pile of papers in front of him as he became aware that Sonea's voice had stopped. He looked up and found her staring at him, an impatient expression on her face.

"I have something very important to discuss with you and you haven't heard a single word!"

"I'm sorry, Sonea, but these documents are very complicated and dull, it takes all my attention to follow the argument and you know Merin wants an answer immediately."

He fought the temptation to return to his scrutiny of the various papers as he saw the beginnings of a frown crease his wife's forehead. He knew that look and it was useless to ignore it. He pushed the pile to the side, and smiled at her.

"I'm listening, so tell me what it is."

"I went to see Lorlen today. He'd asked to see me but didn't say why."

She went on to describe the meeting and what the Administrator had said. "He was angry with me for not telling him what I knew," she said. "I think I managed to deal with that, but then, but then…. he asked me a question. I couldn't tell the truth, so I lied and I could tell he didn't believe me. I could see just how upset he was, so I did something I promised you I would never do….." Her voice died away and she dropped her eyes.

Akkarin felt a cold lump start to form in his stomach and he leaned forward and took her hand. "What did you do?" he asked gently.

"I….I used black magic to read his mind." Sonea was very pale and refused to meet his eyes. "I know I promised you I would never do it unless Kyralia was in danger, but…." she swallowed nervously, "…..you were in danger and if you are in danger, then so is Kyralia."

The High Lord laughed briefly, relief taking the place of the cold lump, "Oh, Sonea, only you would make that sort of connection!"

"But it's true!" she said indignantly. "You are the only person capable of keeping the Ichani threat at bay. If you fall, then eventually, Kyralia will fall. It might not happen straight away, it may take months, but in the end, the Ichani will win. I have to keep you safe. You know I have to!"

"Leaving aside my supposed importance for the future of the Kingdom, what did you see in Lorlen's mind that has made you so anxious?"

She paused for a moment, wondering exactly how to put it, then said, "I didn't read his mind, exactly, more his surface thoughts, but they were strong and very clear. He doesn't trust you at all…and now he doesn't trust me either. He intends to find out just what is going on and, if necessary, he will take his concerns to the Higher Magicians."

Akkarin said nothing. He could sense Sonea's growing impatience, but he needed time to think. _Sometimes __I __wish __Lorlen __hadn__'__t __turned __into __such __an __advocate __of __trust, __truth __and __honesty,_ he thought ruefully. _It __was __different __all __those __years __ago __when __we __were __novices. __Then __he __was __very __keen __on __deception__…__.._

"Well," Sonea's voice was sharp. "What are you going to do?"

"Tell me again. Exactly what did Lorlen say and do?"

Akkarin listened closely to Sonea's explanation. It had been too much to hope for that Lorlen would not have seen Veros around the Guild. _I __knew __it __was __a __risk __to __use __him_, he thought, _But __he __is __the __best __and __if __anyone __can __keep __an __almost __invisible __close __watch __on __Charen __and __his __crowd, __it__'__s __him!__It __was __a __risk __I __was __prepared __to __take._

"But you see, don't you, it's the fact that Lorlen knows you became a black magician a long time before you were High Lord and if the rest of the Inner Council realise it, you are in great danger and not even the King could help you then." Sonea's voice betrayed her anxiety.

"Do you really think Lorlen would tell them?" he asked. "He knows the reason why it happened. Why it was necessary. I thought he understood that."

Sonea smiled ruefully at him, "Yes, of course he understood the reasons and he had accepted them. But now he has grounds to think that you are involved in some other intrigue and given that the last time, you were breaking Guild rules and getting involved in forbidden things, he assumes you are doing something as bad, if not worse, again. Can't you tell him what's going on?"

Akkarin grimaced, "It's not just about my difficulties, I have Merin and Dagran to think about too. I don't want to involve Lorlen in anything remotely concerned with Court intrigue – you know what's he like! He's likely to blunder into it like a bull in a china shop. I can't rely on his discretion. Oh, I know…" he said quickly as Sonea went to speak, "…that he won't mean to be difficult or create further problems, but he will, and you know he will!"

Sonea nodded, grinning a little as she remembered some of Lorlen's previous responses to events, "You're right, as usual, High Lord! I am, as ever, in your hands….."

"Don't worry, Sonea, once I've dealt with Dagran, you can tell Lorlen everything he wants to know."

oooOOOooo

Akkarin moved swiftly and without noise through the forest. He knew the hidden pathways so well now, he needed no light to guide his way. He arrived first at the tiny, ruined building he used for those meetings he wished to keep particularly secret. Not even Sonea knew this place.

The night air was chilly and he had forgotten to take his heavier outer robe and gloves, so he used a tiny sliver of magic to warm his frozen fingers and feet. He grinned briefly to himself as he remembered just what Sonea thought of magicians using magic for ordinary things. _Such __a __waste, __she __would __have __said __firmly. __No __wonder __magicians __are __so __lazy!_

He strained his hearing but hear no one approaching. However, Veros was good, so it was no surprise to the High Lord when he simply stepped into sight, no advance warning given. He was still wearing his servant's dress, having merely flung a dark cloak over it.

"What news have you for me?" Akkarin asked.

"Lord Charen is still having many meetings with some of the people named on your list, but no one new has been involved."

_Thank __the __Eye __for __that_, Akkarin thought. _The __conspiracy __is __not __spreading, __yet._

Veros gave a full report on the activities of various magicians over the previous fortnight. He was a clever spy with years of practice behind him. He knew better than to cloud his report with unnecessary detail. Akkarin appreciated his skill at knowing just what was important and what was not. The High Lord had found him, half dead, in the forest years ago. Veros had just escaped from prison where he had been awaiting execution. According to him, of course, he had been framed for the crime. Akkarin had subjected him to a thorough mind-read, so he knew the truth of that statement. The mind-read, however, had shown the High Lord the extensive possibilities that owning a person like Veros could bring. So he had wasted no time in securing his services. Veros was grateful and gave his rescuer his complete loyalty.

Akkarin thanked his spy, then said, "It seems you are not as well concealed as you would like to think. Lord Lorlen has seen you and wonders what you are doing. If he approaches you, you will deny working at your old trade. As far as he is concerned, you have given all that up and have settled for a quiet life."

Veros grinned, "I doubt Lord Lorlen would believe me, he knows me too well and my love of gold."

Akkarin's voice was chilly, "If you need to, you will make him believe it. I leave it to you to decide how, but you will make him believe it."

Veros's grin slipped a little at the High Lord's tone, "Yes, my lord," he said sullenly.

Akkarin tossed him a purse. "Continue with your task, Veros. I will meet you again in ten days. In the meantime, stay out of sight as much as you can. I don't want to risk any more sightings of you by Lorlen.

The spy caught the purse one-handed and Akkarin could only detect a slight movement as he weighed it before stowing it away somewhere about his person. He nodded to his employer and slipped away, as silently as he'd arrived.

Akkarin started out on his return to the Residence. He was pleased with the report Verso had brought. _Things __seem __to __be __under __control __in __the __Guild_ _for __the __moment_, he thought. _I __must __talk __to __Merin __soon __about __Dagran __but __I__'__m __uncertain __how __far __he __is __willing __to __go._

Just before he reached home, he remembered Lorlen and what he knew. _Now __that__'__s __going __to __take __a __lot __of __careful __planning __before __I __even __think __about __dealing __with __him._


	56. Moonlight Magic

Disclaimer: I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Moonlight Magic**

Akkarin left the University buildings and headed for the stables. He really didn't want to waste time ordering his carriage for the journey to Court and besides, travelling by coach made him feel ancient. _A __young __nobleman __should __always __travel __by __horse_, he thought, _even __if __he __is __a __magician. __There__'__s __nothing __like __a __hard __gallop __to __get __rid __of __cobwebs __in __the __brain!_

He supposed that some of the Higher Magicians would be shocked to learn their High Lord disliked many of the trappings of his position. _It__'__s __the __power __I __crave, __you __can __keep __the __rest_, he thought coach was one of the trappings he'd readily forego. The High Lord's Carriage was ancient, with deep velvet cushions edged with a lot of gold tassels and other luxurious decorations, but it was uncomfortable and, Akkarin was sure, smelled rather musty. _I __really __must __think __about __getting __rid __of __it_, he thought. _Perhaps __a __lighter, __less __ornate __one __would __be __better._

He entered the gardens, suddenly aware that it was late and the evening was already dark, with only the Eye giving out a small, but bright light. Usually at this time, the gardens were deserted, but he soon heard sounds which indicated someone else was ahead of him. At almost the same time, Akkarin heard the faint buzzing he associated with Morwhellin's magic. He paused, then set off in the direction of the sounds.

As he drew nearer to the source of the buzzing, he could hear a quiet voice chanting melodically. It was a clear, soft voice, pure in tone and, he noticed, pleasant to listen to. It could only be Alysa and he wondered what on earth she was doing. He moved silently until, safely hidden behind some bushes, he could observe her unseen.

She was standing in a small patch of light cast by the Eye, her arms upraised as she gazed upward, her sleeves falling away, exposing her thin arms to the beams. She was still chanting quietly and he could hear the buzzing more loudly now, rather like a swarm of angry bees. Alysa was not wearing her novice's robes, but rather a dress of Elyne fashion, brightly coloured and covered with strange designs. He had seen nothing like it before.

Although the High Lord ensured he had made no sound, Alysa stopped what she was doing and turned unerringly until she was facing the place where he was concealed.

"Yes, High Lord?" she said, making her formal bow.

As Akkarin stepped from his hiding place, he smiled inwardly. _It __seems __I __am __as __unable __to __fool __her, __as __I __was __her __grandmother. _He hoped his face remained expressionless as he came close to her, his tall figure casting a long dark shadow over her as he blocked the Eye's light.

"What are you doing, Alysa?" He ensured his voice was cold and distant. "You are forbidden to practise magic alone without the permission of your Guardian or teachers."

"I know, High Lord, but I was not practising your magic, I was using my own magic. I have passed all the necessary training and no longer need permission from anyone to use it. I am a fully qualified Elyne Witch." This last was said with quiet pride and determination.

"You will not practise Elyne magic while you are a novice in the Guild. Is that clear, Alysa?" Akkarin allowed no softening of his tone. He simply could not allow magic over which he had no power to be used in the Guild.

Alysa raised her eyes to his face and stared at him for what seemed to be a long time. It was the first time he could recall that she had looked fully at him, without a trace of fear in her gaze.

"Yes, High Lord," she said eventually.

He turned to go, but her voice followed him.

"Morwhellin is dead."

"Have you had word from Elyne?" he asked.

She smiled a condescending smile, reminding him forcefully of her grandmother, "Not in the way you mean, High Lord. I was Morwhellin's Apprentice. We were formally bound by magic so we remain linked. I know the exact moment of her death. It was if a door had shut in my mind."

Akkarin heard the essence of what she was saying, "You said '…we remain linked…' Are you still linked to Morwhellin, even though she is dead?"

"Ah, so you do understand, High Lord," he could hear the false smile in her tone. "Yes, we are still linked. When the door shut, at the moment of her death, a window opened in another part of my mind and she sits there and will always sit there until my own death."

With difficulty, Akkarin suppressed a shudder. The Elyne magic was so alien to him, that even hearing about elements of it made his flesh creep. Somehow, Kyralian magic seemed wholesome when compared with the enchantments cast by the witches.

"You must return to the Residence at once, Alysa. I do not want to see you again out at night using the light of the Eye of Heaven to cast your spells….."

He was surprised to hear the girl laugh softly, "How arrogant to assume that you Kyralians can name and own our moon. My magic belongs out here, under the bright beams of the moon. You cannot forbid me."

She threw him another contemptuous glance and turned swiftly and was gone. The shiver he'd prevented before overwhelmed him. For a moment, he thought he could hear echoes of Morwhellin's voice and the child's behaviour towards him had been untypical of her usual fearful timidity. He wondered just how powerful the old witch's presence in her granddaughter's mind was. _Does __this __mean __the __old __bitch __could __still __work __her __mischief directly __through __the __girl? __Is __this __why __she __was __so __adamant __the __child __should __remain __here, __in __my __Residence, __close __to __me __and __close __to __Sonea?_ _What __is __her __plan?_ _I __do __not_ _think __any __plan __of __hers __bodes __well __for __any __of __us._ _Is __the __fact __that __the __child __is __Kariko__'__s __daughter __significant? _The thoughts tumbled round and round in his head, until he could have cried out in frustration.

I wish I had never heard of the Elyne witches!"

He started as he realised he'd spoken out loud. He glanced quickly around, but he was still alone. Breathing a sigh of relief, he continued on his way to the stables. But his mind would not leave it alone and the questions continued to race around his head. He was reduced to quietly chanting one of his old Warrior tranquillity exercises over and over again until the mental tempest quietened.

By the time he swung himself up on the horse, he had subdued his thoughts and he could, at last, begin to prepare for his meeting with Merin.


	57. The Council Meeting

Disclaimer: I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**The Council Meeting**

The High Lord made himself comfortable, it looked as if this would be a long meeting. From ease of long practice, he settled himself in his ornate chair and ensured that his robes fell, just so. He had his image to think about – High Lords were expected to be impressive and he had no wish to encourage members of the King's Council to think him uncaring of his position.

He took a sip from the glass in front of him and glanced round at the others. Each was wearing a solemn expression, and he stifled a desire to laugh with some difficulty. _What __a __lot __of __stuffy __old __men __Merin __has __surrounded __himself __with, _he thought. _Not __one __of __them __a __day __under __seventy, __apart __from __Dagran, __and __most __inherited __from __his __father. _He became aware of one pair of pale blue eyes staring at him with barely concealed dislike. Lord Dagran, the King's Senior Advisor and, if he had his way, the King's Only Advisor, was looking down his nose at the magician, a faint curl of contempt on his lips.

Akkarin kept his face bland as he returned the stare with a deceptively mild gaze. No point in antagonising the man further. _As __long __as __I __give __no __indication __I __am __aware __of __his __plotting, __he __will __bide __his __time. __That __will __give __me __an __opportunity __to __deal __with __him __first. _Akkarin was fully aware of what he had to do, he just hadn't come up with a plan to achieve it, yet.

"My Lords, if we could start," Merin took his seat and began shuffling the papers in front of him.

"You have all had copies of the documents and have no doubt found the same difficulty as I have in trying to make sense of them. Some of the language is archaic and it seems some of the material is missing. I asked the High Lord to prepare a summary of the material to help us in our discussions as he has some detailed understanding of the historical material and I'm sure his experience in diplomacy would be extremely useful too." He paused and smiled at the black clad figure opposite him. "Lord Akkarin, if you would be so kind…."

Akkarin returned the smile and began. The hours of work he had put in painstakingly analysing each of the documents paid off handsomely as he was able to present a short, but extremely clear explanation of the often fraught diplomatic history between Kryralia and Sachaka over the centuries since the War.

As he talked, he looked at the King's Advisors seated round the table. Some of them simply listened, while others made careful notes. He noted that Dagran appeared not to be paying attention to the summary. He wouldn't, however, fall into the trap of assuming that the Senior Advisor wasn't listening. Akkarin knew from long experience that Dagran was perfectly capable of paying close attention to any discussion whilst giving the impression of thinking about something else entirely.

"Thank you, High Lord," the King said as Akkarin came to the end of his summary. "Now, I'm sure there will be many things we need to discuss, in light of the magical attack a few months ago, so ably defended by the Guild."

"Has this matter been discussed by the Higher Magicians, High Lord?" Dagran asked.

Akkarin nodded, "Yes, in detail. The King was present for the discussion, as I believe he has informed you."

"Would you tell us what the Guild deliberations were?"

Akkarin could see the trap and he was sure Dagran meant him to see it. "I'm sorry, Lord Dagran, but as you know, the deliberations of the Guild in matters which concern magic are highly confidential and restricted to magicians, and the King, who is sworn not to reveal them. This is according to laws laid down by the King's distant ancestor when the Guild was incorporated."

Dagran smiled warmly at the High Lord, "Of course. I should have remembered the privileged position of the Guild in these matters." He looked away and began to scribble a few words on a paper in front of him.

Akkarin smiled inwardly, noting the slight emphasis Dagran had given to the word ' 'privileged' when referring to the Guild. He was quick to notice one or two others had looked up sharply at Dagran's words. _Dagran__is__playing__an__interesting__game_, the High Lord thought.

Other members of the Council also asked some questions, which were dealt with quickly and easily. Akkarin had no fears that any really awkward questions would be raised, only Dagran was likely to challenge him and he would have to be very careful how he went about it.

Dagran remained silent while the discussions continued, merely looking up occasionally from his notes. But as the questions faltered and the discussions began to reach a natural conclusion, he decided to join in.

"The threat from these Ichani was dangerous, High Lord?"

"Yes, Lord Dagran, but the Guild's Warriors had prepared well and were able to kill all the intruders before they had penetrated far into the country."

"You say prepared, Lord Akkarin? Does this mean there was advance warning of the attack?"

Akkarin could feel those pale blue eyes staring at him as if they could drill into his brain. He had a good idea where these questions were leading.

"As you have seen from the documents, there have been tensions between Sachaka and Kyralia for centuries, with many incursions of warriors and magicians from both countries into the lands of the other. It was only a matter of time before attempts were made again, so like any competent organisation, the Guild prepared its Warriors to fight against enemies with strong magic."

"A long and hard battle, I hear, and from all accounts, your Warriors fought well. However there were many deaths, including a number of important magicians, such as Lord Yikmo and your wife, Lady Sonea, was badly injured. Can the Guild withstand another attack, High Lord?"

"The Warriors continue to prepare, Lord Dagran."

Merin shifted in his chair and gazed at his Senior Advisor, "Is there a point to all these questions, Lord Dagran. These things were discussed at the time and it was agreed that the Guild should continue with its preparations."

Dagran turned to the young King and smiled at him, "I am only seeking to discover how serious a threat another attack would be. I believe Your Majesty is considering sending a diplomatic mission to the King of Sachaka?" Merin nodded and Dagran continued. "Then we must consider the possibility that Sachaka might attack unexpectedly while our attention was focused elsewhere."

"Lord Dagran, perhaps you have misunderstood." Akkarin's tone was smooth, "The recent attack was carried out by the Ichani, who are rogue magicians, exiled by the Sachakan King. It was not an attack on Kryalia by Sachaka."

The Senior Advisor smiled apologetically, "Of course, High Lord, you are perfectly correct." He glanced down at his papers again and silence fell.

The King looked round at the rest of his Council and, as there appeared to be no further questions, started to bring the meeting to a close. He had barely begun to speak, when he was interrupted.

"Pardon, Your Majesty," Dagran said in apologetic voice, "But I have one further question for the High Lord."

As the King inclined his head in assent, Dagran fixed Akkarin with an intense gaze and said, "Perhaps you could confirm, High Lord, that the Ichani attack was more in the nature of a personal attack against you, rather than an attack against the Guild or the Kingdom."

Akkarin said nothing for a moment and Dagran's eyes flickered with a trace of satisfaction.

"Now where did you hear that, Lord Dagran?" Akkarin asked mildly.

"Yes, where did that information come from?" Merin said sharply.

"I believe it is a rumour circulating in Imardin, Your Majesty," Dagran looked from one to the other. "Hasn't someone mentioned this to either of you before?"

"Perhaps you should investigate the source of this rumour, Lord Dagran," the King said. "And perhaps you might see if anyone in the Guild has heard such a thing, Lord Akkarin."

This time the King was able to close the meeting without any further interruptions. As everyone began to file out of the room, he called to Akkarin and asked him to remain. Dagran shot the King a searching look before he turned, rather reluctantly, it appeared, and left with the others.

As the door closed behind them, Merin asked Akkarin to come into his private study. Once there, he sighed loudly and reached for glasses and a large decanter of the High Lord's favourite dark red wine.

"Thank the Eye that meeting's over!" he said. "What did you make of Dagran's questions?"

Akkarin sat down and stretched his long legs out in front of him. For a few moments, it seemed all his attention was focused on his boots. He took a mouthful of the wine, then looked up at Merin.

"Dagran's fishing. I think he knows a little, a very little, of what happened, but he doesn't have much. He thinks if he throws out some innocent sounding questions, a few more bits of information will fall into his hands and he can build up a bigger and better picture. Balkan has been keeping an eye on Charen, and passing reports to me so I know that Charen hasn't managed to discover anything more than he knows already. Dagran must be getting rather frustrated at the lack of detail, hence his fishing expedition."

Merin smiled in relief, "I'm glad to hear you say that. How much longer is this situation going to continue? Do you have a plan? What do you intend to do?"

Akkarin held up his hands in mock surrender, "Patience, Merin, patience. Dealing with a man like Dagran takes skill. I need to put him in a position he can't wriggle out of and I'm not ready yet. Leave it to me. I'll deal with him in good time and you can stop fretting."

They chatted for a few more minutes, then Akkarin was able to take his leave.

As his horse moved swiftly through the streets, he considered his next move. It seemed to him that Dagran was vulnerable through his association with Charen, especially if he was using his magician-cousin to spy on matters which should only concern the Inner Council. It was forbidden for magicians to divulge any matters which pertained to magic to non-magicians – everyone knew it too, especially the King's Senior Advisor.

As his body unconsciously moulded itself to his horse's powerful stride, a glimmer of a plan began to form in the High Lord's mind.


	58. Creating a Rose

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan.

**Creating a Rose**

The sound of suppressed giggles caused him to stop reading and glance over at the others. As had become a nightly routine, Sonea was sitting at the round table in the corner of the library, helping her novice complete her homework. Two heads were bent over a couple of books, one with soft curls as black as night, the other a fiery mass of dark red. He was unable to see who was giggling, but he would have put money on it being Sonea.

Whatever reservations he'd had about her taking on the little Elyne witch child, Akkarin had to admit that things seemed to be working out well. He supposed it was memories of her own beginnings in the Guild and the hostility she faced which made Sonea such a suitable guardian for a half-educated foreign child. He knew from observation that the other Elyne students despised Alysa for her lowly origins and her inability, sometimes, to understand and reply in Kyralian quickly enough to satisfy her teachers. He had expected Alysa to buckle under the weight of hostility, but that had not happened. The child seemed to possess a steel core and in that way, she reminded him very much of Sonea.

"No! No!" Sonea suddenly said, "Not like that! Watch me."

Akkarin was fascinated by the small, perfectly formed rose bud which hovered in front of Alysa's eyes. First of all, it was a creamy white, then it slowly changed to pale pink, just as though it was blushing. Then, in rapid succession, it turned deep red, bright orange and pale yellow. Alysa tried to match the creation, but her rose looked more like a lopsided weed and her attempts to copy her guardian caused both of them to burst into laughter.

After watching several attempts, during which Alysa's flower came to resemble something rather like crumpled linen, Akkarin decided to help and his rose, pale blue in colour and half-opened, floated over to join Sonea's. He concentrated a little more, and a subtle perfume surrounded the flower and a small drop of dew trembled on one of the leaves. Alysa stared at it for a second, then turned to look at him, puzzlement in her eyes.

Sonea, reading Alysa's unspoken question said, "The High Lord is a past master at creating illusions of the most complex kind. It is very easy for him to make a rose bloom in thin air. But even he had to learn how to do it. He will tell you it takes a lot of practice."

"Yes, Alysa," he said, "It took me a very long time to produce a lifelike flower. Their shapes are so difficult to recreate exactly. It's a good exercise and will teach you much."

"Oh, your magic is so complicated!" the child said in frustration. "My magic is so much easier. I made my first spell after only a few lessons and I have been trying to make a rose for a week!" She frowned, "I can't see why I have to make a perfect rose anyway – there are plenty in the garden."

Akkarin smiled at the girl's sulky tone and a mental picture of Sonea at her worst flashed into his mind. He could hear echoes of her voice and the tone matched exactly.

He rose to his feet and said, "You both have a lot of work to do if Alysa is to make a flower which has any resemblance to a rose, I have work to do too, so I will leave you to your endeavours."

He was conscious of Alysa's eyes following him as he made his way to the door. _How __strange,_ he thought_. __For __weeks __she __wouldn__'__t __look __at __me __and __now, __she __stares __all __the __time_.

oooOOOooo

Alysa watched the tall, black figure move without apparent effort towards the door. She was fascinated by the way he almost seemed to glide across the floor, only a faint rustling of the silken robes to betray him. _I __would __like __to __be __able __to __do __that_, she thought and was immediately aware of a mass of hostile emotions flowing from Morwhellin-in-her-mind.

She was now more used to her grandmother's eerie presence in her mind, but if asked to explain it, she couldn't think how to put it into words. What she'd said to the Dark Lord had been perfectly true. As Morwhellin died, a window had appeared in the depths of her mind and Alysa could picture the old Witch sitting at it, watching every thing she did.

Morwhellin didn't speak to her – she could not hear her voice, nor distinguish words, but she did somehow manage to transmit emotions. Alysa could tell when something pleased Morwhellin or, more frequently, when something did not, like now, when Alysa had admired something about the Dark Lord. It was obvious that Morwhellin hated and despised him and required Alysa to do the same.

Alysa had feared and hated him on sight, but now, after so many weeks spending time in his house, living with him and being so close to his wife, her hatred had slowly changed into something more neutral, more ordinary. She still feared him because he was a powerful magician, the strongest in the whole of Kyralia, they said, and she had no wish to test that opinion.

And then there was Sonea. Alysa's feelings about Sonea were complicated. She regarded her in the same way as she had regarded Morwhellin, when she had been her grandmother's bound apprentice. Sonea was her teacher who must be obeyed, regardless how petty the instructions seemed. But Alysa loved Sonea in a way she had never been able to love Morwhellin. In fact, it was the relationship she had always wanted with her grandmother, but had never been able to achieve; love and respect, not simply fear and obedience.

To Alysa, Sonea was everything a good person should be – hard working, loyal, a fine teacher and a good friend. In the young girl's eyes, Sonea could do no wrong. _But __she __loves __the __Dark __Lord,_ Alysa thought_. __How __could __she __do __that __if __he __were __wicked?__Surely __Sonea __wouldn__'__t __love __someone __who __was __the __opposite __of __her __own __character, __would __she? _

Alysa was torn. She didn't want to accept that Sonea had a flaw, but how to explain her deep love for him? At first, Alysa had considered the possibility that somehow the Dark Lord had cast a spell on Sonea, but her experience as an Elyne Witch, which was based on a deep understanding of behaviour and relationships and where spells could be hidden and used, led her to believe that Sonea's love was genuine.

The young novice was therefore faced with a dilemma. Either Sonea was not as perfect as she'd thought and allowed her feelings and desires to overlook some deep wickedness in her lover, or the Dark Lord was not as dark and dangerous as he appeared, but simply a powerful magician, capable of many things, but who loved his wife and was in turn loved by her.

Alysa was tired of trying to work it out, so she decided to put it to the back of her mind, and just accept things at face value until events proved otherwise. Another burst of emotions reminded her of Morwhellin's anger and frustration. Somehow, her grandmother expected her to do something, but for the moment, Alysa had no idea what it might be.

She imagined a thick blind covering the window, shutting out the image of Morwhellin and with it, preventing the emotions from escaping, and turned her thoughts back to creating a rose. _I __will __do __it __this __time!_ she thought.

Sonea carefully and patiently explained the process again, showing step by step just what Alysa needed to do. The novice focussed all her attention on what she was doing and, this time, slowly and carefully, a tiny white rose bud formed mid-way between Sonea and Alysa.

Sonea clapped her hands, "Oh well done, Alysa!" she said in delight, "A perfect little bud!"

Alysa continued to concentrate, but nothing changed, "But there's no perfume," she exclaimed in disappointment.

"Only Lord Akkarin can produce a flower illusion with perfume, Alysa," Sonea explained. "I can't do it and I've had hours and hours of practice." A warm smile appeared on her face as she remembered some of her training sessions with her Guardian, "He tried to teach me, but I couldn't do it and I suppose I never will now."

"What was it like?" Alysa asked curiously, "Being the D...High Lord's Novice?"

Sonea was silent for a moment and the girl watched a series of emotions flash across her face, then she said, "In the beginning it was very difficult because I was afraid of him, you see, and I didn't really want to be a magician. I didn't want to live here, all alone except for Takan and the High Lord. But he was very patient with me despite all my failings, and there were many of those. In a way, he was exactly the right Guardian for me. He taught me how to be the best magician I could possibly be despite all the difficulties and problems surrounding us."

Sonea fell silent again, lost in her memories. Then she looked directly at her novice and said with a smile, "That's enough distractions for the moment, now, let's see if you can create another rose."


	59. Extra Lessons

Disclaimer: I do not own BMT world: it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Extra Lessons**

He lay finally at peace, his body sated from their love-making, his whole being in that delicious state between waking and sleeping, his mind filled with images of pale flesh, shapely limbs, languid caresses and passionate kisses. He could sense her thoughts, so very like his own and he knew that she, too, was at peace.

He settled her more comfortably against him and dropped a kiss on her head. He heard her murmur something as her hand slid down his body, leaving behind a slight tingling sensation.

_What __is __it __you __want, __my __Sonea?_ he sent.

_Just __you,_ she answered, _Always __you_.

He laughed softly, _You __are __a __demanding __lover._

She giggled and wriggled into a different position so that she could look into his face. She reached up and wound her hands in his hair and pulled his head down to meet hers.

_It__'__s __entirely __your __own __fault_, she sent. _I __had __no __thoughts __about __being __any __kind __of __lover __until __I __met __you! __You __taught __me __too __well!_

_It __was __my __pleasure._ He couldn't keep the amusement out of his mental voice and he wondered what she would do next. He didn't have long to wait.

She covered his mouth with her own as her hands moved, tracing the route of his spine down until she reached the firm swell of his buttocks. Her fingers stayed there for a moment, drawing small swirls on his skin, then he felt her hands glide down and around his thighs. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't prevent the faint quivering of his flesh as his body responded to her touch. Suddenly, he was wide-awake again.

_I __need __more __lessons_, she sent. _I __must __improve __all __my __skills. __I __must __never __let __my self __be __satisfied__ – __that__'__s __the __Warriors__' __way!_

_If more lessons are what you want, I'm glad to oblige…._

Akkarin held her close to him as they rose into the air. She was so light, he could easily levitate both of them without effort, but he had never attempted lovemaking in this position, so he supposed it would turn out to be a lesson for both of them.

After the first moment of surprise, Sonea relaxed in his arms but he could tell by the quizzical expression on her face that she was wondering exactly what he intended to do next. He wasn't entirely sure himself. He was careful to make his movements gentle and the pace slow and easy, taking time so their pleasure was mutual. As he entered her, they began to turn ever so slowly, as if they were dancing on air. As their lovemaking intensified, the room spun faster around them and he created a shower of rose petals which fell in a seemingly never-ending stream, fading into nothingness as they reached the bed or the floor.

As he reached his moment of release, he lost control of his magic, and they fell back to earth, landing squarely in the middle of their bed, both lost in laughter.

_Interesting_, she sent, _But __I __would __suggest __a __little __more __practice__…__._

"A glass of wine?" he asked and when she nodded, he got off the bed and padded over to the row of bottles and glasses on top of the chest of drawers. "Anuran Dark?" he asked, "Or would you prefer something else?"

"No, Anuran will do. I've developed a taste for it."

He poured two glasses and handed one to Sonea, before getting back into the bed. They sat quietly for some time, sipping the wine slowly, each lost in thought.

"What made you choose a rose for Alysa's flower creation?" Akkarin asked suddenly. "It's one of the most difficult to do."

"Yes, I know, but I wanted her to have something difficult to show off in her class. Poor thing, the others always tease her and make fun of her accent. I thought if she could make a complicated flower, they would begin to see that her magic is reasonably strong and leave her alone."

"Has she told you much about her other magic?"

"Bits and pieces, nothing in detail. As far as I can make out, it is mainly concerned with people rather than things. She seems able to pinpoint people's emotions if they are upset or worried, but she has difficulty understanding the nature of things. That's why she finds our magic so hard. She's used to being a quick learner and her slowness to grasp what she's meant to do here is making her unhappy."

Sonea turned towards him, "What exactly are you worried about?"

Akkarin didn't answer straight away. He knew that any delving into the relationship between Alysa and Sonea would trigger Morwhellin's spell. He had to be very careful in his questions and also he was unsure what the effect would be if he revealed his true concerns about the role the girl might play in the future. Once again, he cursed the old Witch's meddling.

Sonea was still gazing at him, a small frown starting to appear on her forehead, so he said disarmingly, "I just want to make sure her path is not too difficult. I remember all the heartache you suffered when you first came into the Guild. I wouldn't want her to go though all that alone."

He was rewarded by Sonea smiling warmly at him as she replied, "I had you to look after me, although I didn't know it at the time. She will always have me to look after her."

A sharp pang of guilt struck Akkarin. He had not always considered Sonea's personal feelings. When she had first become his Novice, he had not protected her from Regin and his gang. In fact, he had given tacit approval to the attacks, to test her mettle, to assess her strength and to see if she would be a suitable source of power for him. He had regarded her dispassionately, as someone who could be of use in his struggle; a game piece which could be discarded or sacrificed if necessary. It was only later, as his feelings for her developed, that he began to see her as a real person, rather than a useful pawn.

_She was just a tool. A tool I could use to protect the Guild. And I would have used her up ruthlessly if I'd needed too._

He sipped more of his wine and continued to think about the person he had been. He could see now that he'd been a driven ruthless creature, with no regard for his own life or the lives of those with a part to play in his grand strategy. He would have sacrificed an individual without a second thought to save the rest. He had cut himself off completely from all human emotions and relationships. He had been like a player in a game, moving pieces round the board to achieve his goals, forgetting that he was dealing with living, breathing people.

_I would have continued that way to the end, but she changed me. She gave me her love unconditionally, refusing to be cast aside. She would give her life to protect me, as she has already proved. She forced me to acknowledge what I had denied all those years, that I am a man like any other with strengths and weaknesses; that I could fail, that I needed a companion, no…not a companion, a lover; a lover who could teach me what it means to care deeply about another and be loved utterly and completely in return._

His glass was empty and as he moved to refill it, he saw that Sonea was looking at him, a patient expression on her face. As she caught his eye, she smiled.

"At last! I thought you were never going to stop thinking about whatever it is that's on your mind."

She took the glass from his hand and wound herself around him. He felt her nuzzle his neck as she sent _Your thoughts are giving you pain, I can see it in your face. Let me help you. What is it?_

He changed his position until they were lying in each other's arms and he could rest his cheek against her hair.

_You have already helped me, more than you will ever know._


	60. The Reckoning

Disclaimer – I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**The Reckoning**

There was silence in the Hall as the Higher Magicians listened to the High Lord. He could see by the expressions on their faces which ones had things to hide and which were hearing the tale for the first time. Some faces were guarded, whilst others registered varying degrees of shock. It was not pleasant to hear an account of treachery in the Guild. Lorlen was sitting in his usual place, next to the High Lord and although he was not wearing the blood gem, Akkarin could sense his swirling emotions, anger, surprise, irritation and exasperation radiated from the Administrator as he realised the extent to which he had been kept in the dark.

Akkarin continued his tale, keeping his voice calm and his face expressionless, making sure he spoke only of facts. He mentioned no names, choosing only to describe the sequence of events, which led, eventually, to Balkan's involvement. He looked over at the Warriors' Leader.

"Perhaps, Lord Balkan, you would like to explain what happened next?"

"Thank you, High Lord," Balkan responded.

He rose to his feet and looked carefully around at the assembled magicians. He pulled some notes from a pocket and examined them for a moment, then, satisfied that he had everything clear in his mind, he began.

Balkan described the various meetings he had had with the as yet unnamed magician and the offer made to him regarding the High Lordship once the current holder had been removed. He spoke of his anger at being identified as a potential traitor and he told how he had given all the details of the conspiracy to Akkarin. He concluded by telling of Akkarin's instructions that he carry on discussions with the conspirators in order to monitor their actions and how he reported frequently to the High Lord on the progress of the plan.

When Balkan had finished, there was a general murmuring amongst the magicians, which Akkarin allowed to continue for a few minutes, then he called them to order.

"I think you will agree with me that this is a very serious matter," Akkarin's voice carried to all parts of the Hall, its sombre tone causing all present to listen carefully. "As Lord Balkan indicated, I have been fully informed of the progress of the conspiracy and I have a complete list of those who showed interest."

At this, many in the body of the Hall shifted uncomfortably in their seats, keeping their eyes lowered, not daring to meet the High Lord's penetrating gaze. Akkarin noted, but ignored Lorlen's attempt to catch his eye, there would be time to deal with the Administrator later.

"Early this morning, the leading conspirator was confined to his rooms, guarded by a group of loyal Warriors. It is my intention to bring him before you and for the Administrator to truth-read him, so that all may be known to you, before judgement is passed."

At a sign from Akkarin, the main doors were opened to admit a group of Warriors who were surrounding a magician dressed in the purple of the Alchemists. A buzz started as the magicians craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the conspirator. As he was identified, murmurings intensified, until his name was heard clearly as the news was passed from one to another.

As the group came to a halt before the High Lord, Akkarin rose to his feet and used his imposing height to the full, so that he looked down on Charen, like a dark avenger, ready to administer justice.

"Lord Charen, the Higher Magicians have been informed of your activities over the past few months as you attempted to involve various members of the Guild in a conspiracy to overthrow me and set another in my place. Do you have anything to say, before the Administrator truth-reads you?"

Charen, who was pale, with beads of sweat dotting his forehead, drew himself up and said, "I protest at my treatment. I have been kept in my rooms and forbidden contact with anyone. You have no right…."

"The Guild has every right to investigate treachery." Lorlen said sharply, before Akkarin could respond. "You have a chance to put your case to the Higher Magicians and my truth-read will confirm your guilt or innocence."

"I have nothing to say here," Charen replied, defiance in his tone, "I do not expect fair treatment from anyone in this Hall. I shall make my case to the King and his Council."

_So, __Charen, __you __fall __neatly __into __my __trap_, thought Akkarin_. __I __wondered __if __you __would __be __so __foolish__…__._

"These matters concern the Guild only and not the King or his Council, " Akkarin said calmly. "There is no mechanism for any magician, found guilty of conspiracy in the Guild Court to appeal to the King."

Charen smiled, a particularly unpleasant smile, "I think you will find, High Lord, that there are some on the King's Council who view events in the Guild in a very different light to you."

_Yes, __you __are __a __very __foolish __man __and __you __are __now __so __firmly __in __my __trap, __you __will __never __get __out. __It __only __remains __to __see __who __you __will __put __in __the __trap __with __you_, Akkarin thought with satisfaction.

"You have discussed Guild matters with members of the King's Council?" Lorlen asked, a look of shock on his face. "This is against all oaths sworn by magicians. Only the High Lord has the discretion to discuss certain matters with the King, who is also bound by an oath of secrecy."

The murmurings in the Hall grew again, as the import of what was being said sank in. Akkarin looked at the reactions of some of the people from his list of conspirators and judging by their shocked expressions, it would seem Charen had been less than forthcoming about some aspects of his plan.

"I invite you again to speak in your defence, Lord Charen."

But Charen refused to look at the High Lord or answer his question. Akkarin signalled to Lorlen, who came forward to stand in front of Charen. He looked the Alchemist in the eyes and said, "You will stand still while I undertake the truth-reading. If you make any attempt to avoid it, you will be immobilised and the reading will still take place. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Administrator. However, I ask all present to remember that I protest my treatment at the hands of the High Lord and the Administrator."

Lorlen placed a hand each side of Charen's head and shut his eyes. He remained perfectly still for what seemed like an age, before opening his eyes and dropping his hands. As he let go of Charen, the Alchemist staggered and would have fallen if the Warrior standing next to him hadn't steadied him.

The Administrator turned and faced the High Lord. He bowed formally and said, "I have completed the truth-reading and I can confirm that Lord Charen actively worked to undermine your leadership of the Guild and attempted to have you replaced as High Lord. The truth-reading confirms Lord Balkan's account. I have also discovered the names of the members of the King's Council who have been involved in Lord Charen's conspiracy."

"Thank you Administrator." Akkarin turned to the main body of the Hall and said, "You have heard Lord Charen refuse to say anything in his defence. You have heard the Administrator reveal the results of his truth-reading. I now ask you all to vote on the guilt or innocence of Lord Charen."

Almost immediately globes of light began to float upwards towards the ceiling of the Hall and it didn't need a count of individual globes to identify the overwhelming vote of guilty. Charen stopped watching after the first dozen or so globes appeared, and seemed to lose interest in the proceedings. He remained standing in front of the High Lord, but simply stared into the distance.

After Lorlen formally announced the overwhelming vote of guilty, Akkarin addressed the assembled magicians.

"The verdict has been given and Lord Charen has been found guilty of the charge of conspiring to depose the High Lord in direct contravention of his oath as a Higher Magician. Sentence will be passed in five days' time. In the meantime, Lord Charen will be confined to a prison cell and forbidden any visitors. Take him away."

The Warriors once again closed ranks around Charen and marched him out of the Hall. Many strained to catch a glimpse of the prisoner, hoping perhaps to see him reflect the shame of the verdict, but Charen walked straight-backed from the chamber, staring straight ahead.

The assembly was dismissed and Akkarin turned to leave, suddenly wanting to be in his library, far away from thoughts of treachery, but Lorlen planted himself firmly in front of him and he was forced to either push the Administrator out of the way or stand still.

"Well, Lorlen, what is it?" Akkarin could hear the impatience in his voice, but he was too tired to do anything to mitigate it.

"I need to talk to you!"

Akkarin looked into his face and noted that Lorlen wore his mulish look. The High Lord sighed soundlessly. _I __won__'__t __be __able __to __put __him __off_, he thought wearily. _I __might __as __well __get __this __over __with. __He __is __angry __and __hurt __that __he __was __excluded. __That __was __my __fault __and __it __is __down __to __me __to __put __it __right._

"Come to the Residence in half an hour." Akkarin moved forward and Lorlen stepped back to let him through. The Administrator looked as if he wanted to argue, but having seen the glint in Akkarin's eye, thought better of it.

"Half an hour," he repeated.

oooOOOooo

It was exactly half an hour later that Lorlen presented himself at the Residence. He had been sitting in the gardens, waiting for the time to pass. Each minute seemed to take an hour, but he was determined to arrive at the stated time. He was a mass of seething emotions. He was disturbed that such a conspiracy could grow in the Guild and he be unaware of it. _I __am __the __Administrator; __I __should __have __my __finger __firmly __on __the __pulse __of __the __Guild. __If __anything __is __going __on, __I __should __be __the __one __to __know __it!_

That Akkarin knew all about it was irritating, but not entirely unexpected. _He __was __always __good __at __sniffing __out __problems_, Lorlen remembered. It was the fact that Balkan was actively involved in investigating the conspiracy that made him furious. He could understand now why Veros was masquerading as a servant in the Magicians' Quarters, but he could think of no reason why Akkarin had excluded him from what was going on and he intended to find out why.

Takan showed him into Akkarin's Library. It had been some time since Lorlen had been invited into the High Lord's inner sanctum, so he took the opportunity to look around to see if any changes had been made. As he completed his inspection he found Akkarin's eyes on him, a hint of amusement in their dark depths, and he felt hot colour creep over his cheeks.

"Checking to see whether or not I have made off with the Guild's furniture, Lorlen?"

The lightness of Akkarin's tone, coupled with the trace of laughter on his face only served to increase Lorlen's ill temper. He stalked over to a nearby chair and sat down.

Akkarin turned to the bottles and glasses on the side table and poured two glasses of the dark red wine. He placed one next to his visitor, then sat in his own chair, sipping slowly at the wine and regarding Lorlen over the rim of the glass.

"Well, Administrator, perhaps you would like to start the discussion."

Having delivered his invitation, the High Lord settled back in his chair as Lorlen forcefully displayed his anger at being excluded from all discussions and actions associated with the conspiracy. Although he had had plenty of time to prepare his case, Lorlen felt he had not done himself justice. This feeling was reinforced by the fact that Akkarin heard him in silence, as if feeling it was best to let him vent his temper first, before trying to get him to understand the reasons. That only served to fuel the Administrator's feelings of frustration.

As Lorlen came to the end of his outburst, Akkarin looked at him calmly and said, "This was not a simple set of circumstances, it involved senior members of the King's Council and any move against them had to be handled with care and discretion."

"Are you suggesting I am incapable of acting with care and discretion?" The hot colour flooded into Lorlen's cheeks and his voice rose. "I would remind you that I am Administrator of the Guild. It is my place to be involved where anything threatens the Guild!"

"Calm down, Lorlen. Let's discuss this in a civilised manner. It was my decision not to involve you until I was sure that I could deal with all elements of the conspiracy, especially where it involved the Court. I had good reasons for my decision and you'll have to just take my word for it. Now, you know everything – the names of the leading people involved and all the details you obtained from Charen. However, you must continue to let me deal with the situation."

He held up his hand, as Lorlen opened his mouth to speak, "No, Lorlen, enough. There's nothing more to say on the matter. You must leave me to finish it. I know how to deal with Merin and his Council in a way which will not adversely affect the Guild or its relationship with the Court. You do not. That is the fact of the matter. It is a very delicate situation which requires careful handling. You must leave everything to me."

Lorlen didn't answer, when the High Lord finished speaking. He was still angry, but the innate fairness, which was a large part of his character, caused him to have sympathy with Akkarin's view. He knew he wasn't a natural diplomat and that he could let his temper get the better of himself sometimes. He swallowed some of his wine and set his glass down carefully.

"You are sure you know what you are doing?" he said finally. "You're sure you don't need my help?"

"I do need your help in setting Charen's punishment. I want you to examine the Guild records to find out how similar situations have been handled in the past. I need to make sure that Charen is dealt with fairly and properly. There must be no hint of anything underhand in what happens to him."

A sour smile crossed Lorlen's lips, "Oh, help with paperwork, yes, I can see that is something I can be safely left to do, while you do all the difficult work. I suppose I should be grateful that I have any part to play in the whole thing. Apart from you and Balkan, who else knew what was going on?"

Akkarin hesitated, and Lorlen saw it. He steeled himself for some unpleasant news.

"Sonea knew some of what was happening, but not everything." Akkarin kept his voice matter-of-fact, perhaps hoping that would dispel some of Lorlen's irritation at not being in on the secret.

"I see! You discussed it with a magician, so recently qualified that the Graduation Medal is still barely warm around her neck, but not the Administrator, a Higher Magician of many years' standing." Lorlen couldn't keep frustration from colouring his tone.

Akkarin looked directly into his friend's eyes, "The conspiracy directly concerned me. At the beginning, I'm sure Charen and his supporters thought they could remove me by using the Guild's own rules and regulations. However, try as he might, Charen was unable to get any of the Inner Council members to divulge what was said at the meeting. Neither could Dagran bully Merin into revealing anything. That meant formal disgrace and removal was increasingly unlikely. However, they were determined to remove me by fair means or foul. I concluded that assassination was a definite possibility and that might have included my wife if she got in the way. Sonea had to know some of what was going on. Surely even you can see that, Lorlen!"

Lorlen was ashamed of what he'd just said. He hastened to put things right, "Yes, of course I do. I'm sorry, Akkarin, it's just that I feel so left out of things. When we started out as High Lord and Administrator, I thought there would never be any secrets between us, and yet over the last few years, there seems to be nothing else but secrets."

Akkarin nodded, "I feel that too, but you have to understand that I am not playing at being the leader of the Guild. This is not a game like those we played as novices. There are serious issues I have to face and decisions to take which sometimes have to be mine alone. The power is mine, yes, but also the responsibility. You will just have to learn to trust me, Lorlen."

There was really nothing more to be said after that and Lorlen took his leave, having promised not to reveal any details from the truth-reading until given permission to do so. As he walked back to his office, he pondered the enigma that was his old friend. _He __has __travelled __far __from __the __boy __who __was __my __best __friend, _he thought_. __Was __it __becoming __High __Lord __which __changed __him, __or __would __he __have __become __like __this __regardless?_

Lorlen couldn't answer that question, but may be there was one he could answer. _Have __recent __events __destroyed __trust __between __us __irrevocably __or __can __I __learn __to __trust __Akkarin __again? _But after much thought, the only answer that came to him was _Perhaps_.


	61. Understanding Love

Disclaimer: I do not own BMT World – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Understanding Love**

She was sitting comfortably by his feet, her body leaning against his leg in such a position that allowed him to rest his hand in her hair. They were both staring into the flames, each lost in their own thoughts.

Akkarin allowed his hand to gently caress her curls, not enough to disturb them, but just enough to let her know he was thinking of her. Sonea had the extremely useful ability to sit motionless for long periods of time. _So__important__for__a__Warrior_, he thought, _and__so__unlike__most__women__of__my__acquaintance_. This was one of her favourite positions for relaxing and he had grown to enjoy it too.

The day's events in the Hall, followed by the potentially fraught meeting with Lorlen had wearied him. It seemed that most things he did these days left him feeling weary. He often thought it was only the fact that he had Sonea and their children to come home to that made his life bearable.

He sighed a little, feeling a bit sorry for himself, and Sonea twisted her head to look up at him sympathetically. "Was the meeting with Lorlen so bad?" she asked.

"It turned out better than I hoped in the end. He was really angry that he hadn't been told what was going on and I thought it might have been difficult to get him to see sense, but in the end, he seemed to accept it. This seems to be the pattern lately, Lorlen is angry, Lorlen needs to be pacified, Lorlen accepts what I say and goes away satisfied."

"Well, you do know why it always ends up like that, don't you?" Sonea smiled up at him.

He must have looked puzzled, because she broke into a peal of laughter, "You don't know, do you?"

"No doubt you'll tell me, wife!" he responded cheerfully.

"It's really simple, Akkarin," she said, "Lorlen loves you. That's why he's always angry when you leave him out and that's why he always accepts what you say in the end."

He frowned down at her, "Loves me? I don't think that's the case at all. We're friends, and have been for years, but love…I don't believe it."

"I don't mean Lorlen is a secret lad and harbours designs on your body!" Sonea chuckled at the thought. "It's more like he's your brother, he wants to confide in you and for you to confide in him. He likes to think he looks out for you and wants you to do the same for him. Think about it. When he read my mind and found out about your secret activities, he was devastated. Everything he'd ever believed about you was overturned in those few minutes. That's why he tried so hard to defeat you. That's why he was so angry. He felt you had betrayed him, pretended to be his friend, while all the time you had been someone else entirely."

"I understand all that," Akkarin said impatiently. "It was a natural reaction, after all."

"True, but what about later? Later, at the meeting with the Inner Council, when you told them about the Ichani, why didn't he denounce you immediately? Why did he agree with your plea to say nothing? I think it was his love for you which kept him quiet at the crucial moment and allowed you to go ahead with your plans."

"Some wine?" At Sonea's nod, Akkarin moved smoothly to his feet and went to pour two large glasses. It gave him time to think. He didn't know why, but he was disturbed by the thought that Lorlen loved him. He returned to his chair, resumed his seat and handed a glass to Sonea. She took it and settled back against his legs.

"Yes, that did puzzle me for a bit," he acknowledged, "But I think it was more to do with the speed of events and the need for action which kept him quiet."

"I don't think you know very much about love, Akkarin," Sonea said softly. "Perhaps it's because you were shut off from people by your secret work, and the fact you lived here, almost in complete isolation from the rest of the Guild; whatever the reason, I don't think you understand love."

For a moment, Akkarin didn't know what to say. The conversation had taken an unexpected turn and he wasn't sure he knew what Sonea wanted him to say. She, however, was continuing her own thoughts.

"You get on well with the King, don't you? He supports you in a whole range of things others might find odd. You even got him to support our hurried marriage! Have you ever asked yourself why he does those things for you?"

"You're going to say he loves me, aren't you?" Akkarin said wryly.

"Of course he does! You told me yourself how lonely he was as a boy and how the others made fun of him, but you didn't. You can't be surprised if Merin loves you like a brother. In fact you have been a much better brother to him than his own ever was, if what you've told me is true."

"And you, my wise little twenty-something young woman, I suppose you know all about love," he teased.

She regarded him seriously, "Yes, I think I do. Tell me, Akkarin, do you love me?"

"Yes, I love you, Sonea," he affirmed.

"How do you love me?" She looked at him, a teasing smile on her lips, "How would you describe your love for me?"

He was at a loss. All the usual platitudes that lovers said to each other wouldn't do in this case, he knew. Sonea wanted to lead him somewhere, but he couldn't see where to go. He had a strong feeling that if he said something, it would be wrong and he had no idea how Sonea would react.

She was looking steadily at him, a trace of amusement in her eyes, waiting for him to speak. When he didn't, she grinned and said, "Let me put it this way, do you enjoy our love-making? Does your heart beat faster as night draws near in anticipation of bed sport?"

He nodded, still unsure of what she wanted him to say.

"Would it pain you to give it up?"

"I would miss you," he said. "When you went away, I found my bed too empty and too wide."

"All of those things are true for me, too," she said with a smile. "When I was away from you, I couldn't sleep. I used to hug my pillow and pretend it was you."

She turned until she was kneeling at his feet, looking up into his face. She took his hands and said, "If I went away tomorrow and you never saw me again, would you still love me?"

"Yes," he said simply.

"Me too," she replied. "So love can exist without physical contact. Love can continue despite separation and loss. Do you agree?"

"Yes," he said again. As he spoke, the face of Dakova's pleasure slave drifted into his mind and for a moment, he relived the anguish of her loss and remembered the dreams which haunted him for years.

Something in his face must have shown his pain because Sonea moved until she was half-sitting in his lap, her arms tightly around him, her face buried in his neck.

_I__'__m __sorry_, she sent. _I__'__ve __made __you __think __of __her __again. __I __didn__'__t __mean __to._

"It's all right, Sonea. There will always be a tender spot in my memories, just for her, but you have taken away the terrible dreams I used to have." He kissed her gently.

_It__'__s __thoughts __of __you __alone __which __fill __my __mind __now_, he sent.

"This hasn't come out right," Sonea said in exasperation. "I wanted to make you understand that, once people get to know you properly, you are an easy person to love. Lorlen loves you, Merin loves you and I love you. We are the three people who know you best. Sometimes, I think you feel that you don't deserve to be loved, but that's not true."

"Where is all this leading, Sonea?" he asked.

"I suppose I'm trying to get you to understand why Lorlen acts the way he does. Then, you will be able to deal with him better and avoid all the irritation you both feel at times."

Akkarin thought over what she had said and it made sense to him. He had been able to win Lorlen over despite what he'd believed about the black magic. Lorlen had kept his secret in the end and had made no attempt to denounce him and the fact that he loved him like a brother could be an explanation. He'd never thought of it before and he knew that this understanding would change his attitude to Lorlen.

Sonea snuggled against him and he could sense her contentment, but there was something she hadn't explained.

"So, Sonea, how do you love me?" he asked softly. "You've told me about Merin and Lorlen, now tell me how you really feel."

There was a pause, then she said, "I love you in every way possible that a woman can love a man. If fate decreed we must part tonight and never see each other again, I would continue to love you for as long as I lived. There would never be anyone else for me and if that meant I lived alone for the rest of my life, so be it."

He said nothing and she looked up at him, "I never intended to fall in love…with anyone. I had too much to do learning magic and coping with the Guild. I fell in love with you despite myself and, yes, despite everything you did to discourage me and make me dislike you. It wasn't your magic, it wasn't your power, it wasn't because you are handsome, it was because of the person you are underneath all of those things. You are a man worth loving, never forget that."

He was touched by her words and the patent honesty he saw in her eyes. He cradled her in his arms and stood up, holding her close to him.

"Perhaps I am not as articulate as you when talking of love," he whispered, "But I can show you how much I love you and what you mean to me."


	62. Lord Dagran

Disclaimer: I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan.

**Lord Dagran**

Akkarin urged his horse into an easy canter. He did so enjoy being out in the fresh air, feeling his mount move smoothly and efficiently beneath him and, despite the fact that the distance between the Residence and the King's Palace wasn't that great, he preferred to ride his horse rather than ride in the lumbering High Lord's Carriage. The day was warm, and the bright sunlight, together with the singing of various birds, conspired to create his cheerful mood.

Today was the culmination of all his work over the past weeks and he hoped that by the time he rode back to the Guild, his plan would have come to a successful conclusion. On the surface, the plan appeared simple: deal with Charen, use information from the truth-read to get absolute proof of the extent of the conspiracy, especially Dagran's part in it, present it to the King and destroy the King's Senior Advisor. Part of the plan had already been successfully put into action, but the High Lord was acutely aware that disposing of Lord Dagran would never be easy. The man was an astute politician with years of experience behind him. Added to that, he was able to successfully bully Merin into agreeing with him on many matters that the King didn't always initially support.

Akkarin thought back to the conversation with Sonea about love. The rational part of his mind wanted to dismiss much of what she'd said, but after thinking it over and analysing her points, he had to admit that a lot of it made sense. He wondered briefly if knowing Merin loved him would make a difference to the outcome of the meeting he was on his way to. Although Merin had not been trained to be King and often sought reassurance from his old friend 'krin, Akkarin knew that he was also very conscious of his dignity as King and what was due to his position as Ruler. _I __shall __have __to __handle __him __carefully_, he reminded himself. _I __mustn__'__t __take __too __much __for __granted_. Merin had a weak person's obstinacy and if rubbed up the wrong way, had a habit of making up his mind quickly and refusing to budge from his position, whether it was right or wrong.

The horse clattered into the Royal Stables and a willing groom took the reins and led the animal to a comfortable stall, with plenty of oats and water. Akkarin took a moment to smooth his robes and check his hair was suitably confined in its velvet band. He was due to meet Merin for a few minutes privately, before the main meeting, so he followed the servant up to the King's private guestroom.

Merin was seated in a fireside chair, gazing into the flames when the High Lord was announced. Akkarin made a formal bow, but as the door closed behind the servant, he advanced into the room, holding out his hand to clasp the King's and said cheerfully, "It's good to see you, Merin."

The King smiled warmly at his friend and returned the greeting. After offering the usual refreshments, he sat down again, and motioned to Akkarin to do the same.

"So, tell me what you discovered from your investigations," the King said.

The High Lord gave a concise summary of the information revealed by the truth-reading and finished by saying, "I now have full details of the members of your Council who have been involved with Charen in trying to create dissention within the Guild. That, of course, is not the full picture. There's the issue of Dagran and what he asked Charen to do."

Merin frowned, "Are you sure that what was revealed is, in fact, the truth?"

Akkarin felt a twinge of pity for the King. Although he chafed at Dagran's attitude towards him and often complained of his Senior Advisor's bullying tactics, at the same time, he had relied on Dagran for much of the work done by the Council. It would be difficult to bring himself to get rid of the man, especially with no clear picture of who would replace him.

Akkarin's voice was calm as he responded, "Charen carried within his mind, clear memories of the discussions he'd had with the Head of his House over a considerable period of time. There is no doubt that Dagran attempted to suborn the Guild, making it subservient to the King's Council, in direct opposition to the agreement between your ancestor and the Guild magicians of the time. The method he chose to carry this out involved my destruction, either through dismissal and disgrace, or by assassination and my replacement by someone he thought would be more compliant."

Merin looked uncertain, "Tell me again about these truth-readings; how do they work and how much reliance can be placed on them."

Akkarin prevented his frustration from becoming apparent, they had discussed this before, many times, but he knew that Merin was simply trying to reassure himself that the course they embarked on today would be solid, with no possibility of Dagran escaping the consequences of his actions.

The High Lord forced himself calmly to recount again the processes involved in truth-reading and then said, "It was carried out, initially, by Administrator Lorlen, then performed again, with additional witnesses, who have attested to the truth of what Administrator Lorlen said. There can be absolutely no doubt that these memories of what was said are true."

Merin expelled his breath in a long sigh. He said nothing for a moment, preferring to stare into the flames as if seeking inspiration. Akkarin remained still, if the King's courage failed him now, then it was difficult to see how to proceed. He began to consider alternative courses of action to deal with the threat posed by Dagran. Those against himself, he dismissed, rather it was the long-term position of the Guild which concerned him. He couldn't allow history to record him as the High Lord who allowed its purpose to be subjugated to the needs of the politicians on the King's Council. He had to preserve its ancient rights. He became aware that Merin had spoken, and looked up. To his relief, the King looked more at ease and even a little confidant.

"Well then, Akkarin, we must proceed on the basis of the evidence you have brought." Then in an unconscious echo of Akkarin's own thoughts, he went on, "I cannot let myself be the King who allowed the Guild to be weakened, especially in view of the threat posed by the Ichani, now and in the future."

It was not long afterwards that the King's Secretary tapped at the door and reminded them it was almost time for the meeting. Akkarin didn't want to accompany the King into the Council Chamber; he wouldn't give Dagran any excuse to cry 'collusion'. He lingered until the King had disappeared from sight, before moving swiftly, and by another route, to the room set aside for formal meetings of the King's Council.

As he entered, he saw that most were already present, it was only Dagran and the King who were not yet seated around the large table. They both entered a few moments later, and it looked to the High Lord as if Dagran had been cross-examining Merin, for the King looked decidedly uncomfortable.

When all were seated, the King formally declared the meeting open. As usual, there was a written list of items to be discussed placed before each Council member. Akkarin noted that the item regarding the Guild was almost the last one on the list and he wondered who had decided that place. _Does __Dagran __hope __that __people__'__s __attention __will __have __wandered __by __then?_ he wondered.

The High Lord didn't pay much attention to the earlier items, they were generally routine and required little, if any, input from him. However, as the discussion slowly moved down the list, he became aware of rising tension in the room. Merin was staring at the papers in front of him and Dagran was staring straight at Akkarin.

Akkarin made sure he stared straight back, his face expressionless. He was unsure if Dagran was fully aware of what had transpired with Charen. He knew his cousin had been summoned before the Guild to explain his actions, but as Charen had been kept closely guarded since then with only official visitors, Akkarin hoped that Dagran hadn't grasped the implications of what else the Alchemist had disclosed.

"Guild Matters," the King's Secretary intoned. "High Lord, do you have a report for the Council?"

"Yes, I do. Your Majesty," Akkarin looked directly at the King, "It was recently brought to my attention that a conspiracy was underway amongst some members, led by a Higher Magician, Lord Charen. The conspiracy was monitored over a period of several months as evidence of wrongdoing was gathered. Last week, Lord Charen was brought before the Higher Magicians to answer for his part in the conspiracy."

As he had been recounting events, Akkarin had watched Dagran's reactions out of the corner of his eye. The Senior Advisor had paled when he heard Charen's name, but otherwise did not betray any particular interest in the news.

"Do go on, High Lord," the King said. "What was the result of the Hearing?"

"Lord Charen refused to make any statement in his defence. He was then subjected to a truth-reading carried out by Administrator Lorlen which confirmed his guilt. This was put to a vote and he was judged guilty by an overwhelming majority of the Higher Magicians present."

The reactions amongst the Council members were of surprise, even shock in a few cases. Treachery in the Guild was not something which occurred very often. Lord Dagran stared at Akkarin, his gaze relentless. He, however, said nothing.

"Is there any more you can tell us, High Lord?" Akkarin was pleased to hear Merin's voice was calm.

"Yes, unfortunately, Your Majesty, the truth-reading revealed an extensive network of people involved in the conspiracy, some of which were not Guild members, but people from other sections of society who seemed eager to weaken the Guild and remove some of its ancient privileges."

"You say 'other sections of society', what exactly do you mean?" asked the King.

"Some members of your Council have been involved in the conspiracy." Akkarin took a deep breath. _This __is __the __crucial __part __of __my __report_, he thought, _Everything __depends __on __the __next __few __minutes._

"I regret to inform Your Majesty that the prime mover behind this conspiracy is Lord Dagran, your Senior Advisor."

There were gasps of astonishment from around the table, but Lord Dagran remained staring at the High Lord, a small smile appearing briefly on his lips.

"You have definite proof of this?" Merin's voice was sharp. As Akkarin nodded, the King turned to Dagran.

"What do you have to say to this charge, Lord Dagran?"

"I would like to see this proof, Your Majesty. Perhaps the High Lord would show us exactly what it is."

Akkarin reached into his document case and pulled out several papers. "I have here copies of the sworn statement of Lord Lorlen, witnessed by six other Higher Magicians, regarding the content of the truth-reading. During the reading, Lord Lorlen was able to access Lord Charen's memories of several meetings with Lord Dagran during which they discussed the intentions of the conspiracy and progress in achieving them."

Akkarin passed copies of the statement to each member and waited while they perused them.

"As you can see, one or two other members of the Council were also involved in some parts of the conspiracy, but none had a leading part, except for Lord Dagran."

Dagran scanned the paper, then threw it aside, "All neatly recorded and witnessed, High Lord, but where is the proof that these are the real memories of Lord Charen? How do we know these are not false memories planted by some form of magic? Do you have any witnesses who are not magicians, and therefore subject to your control, High Lord?"

"Are you saying that we should not accept the sworn word of Guild members?" Akkarin enquired mildly.

Dagran smiled coldly, "I merely point out that all of this is Guild-created and Guild-verified. What control does the King's Justice have over Guild matters? It is well-known that I have expressed my concern about the almost complete independence the Guild currently has and how that lessens the King's authority in Kyralia. Therefore it should not be surprising if the Guild wished to remove me from the King's Council."

"So your position is that all this is a Guild plot against you?" the King asked.

"Your Majesty knows I have always been concerned to uphold the authority of the King and anything which impinges on that authority is something I care deeply about. The Guild is a powerful body and much of which it does is secret. Even the King himself is bound by secrecy from reporting any information about Guild matters to his own Council without permission of the High Lord. Naturally the High Lord and the Guild would be opposed to any move to reduce its privileges. I, on the other hand, wish to open up the Guild to more scrutiny by the Council. That makes me a target for Guild action."

Merin looked helplessly at Akkarin, "What do you have to say to those accusations, High Lord?"

Akkarin was acutely aware of the thread of uncertainty in the King's voice and knew he must act quickly to calm his fears and regain the initiative.

"Lord Dagran, I am astonished that you would think this testimony is simply a Guild plot to remove a King's Advisor. The Guild is concerned with the regulation of magic in the Kingdom and the Allied Lands. It has no interest in usurping the King's authority, in fact it has a vested interest in protecting the King's authority and preserving the well-being of the Kingdom. The Guild's role has always been to advise the King and his Council on matters which involve magic and defend the Kingdom from magical attack as indeed happen only a few months ago."

Akkarin made sure his voice was cold and dispassionate, to add solemnity to what he was saying. He made a point of looking at each of the members around the table, drawing them in to what he was saying.

"This is not a case of the Guild interfering in the King's absolute rule of Kyralia, it is a case of the Senior Royal Advisor to the King interfering in Guild matters. The aim of the plot was to remove me from the High Lordship. You might wonder why such an action was necessary. Perhaps it was because under my leadership the Guild has remained strong, so strong in fact, that it recently defeated the most serious attack against Kyralia in a generation. Under my leadership, the Guild will continue to grow and expand its numbers of trained and strong magicians to continue to protect the Kingdom against magical attack. Under my leadership, the Guild will continue to offer total support to the King in his task of ruling the Kingdom. You might ask yourselves why the conspirators were hoping to elect their own candidate to the High Lordship and what price they would extract from him in the future."

He could tell by the fidgeting and shuffling of papers going on round the table that the Council members were disturbed by his words, especially the implication that having a weaker leader might result in favours being granted to specific people. Most of the Council had had no cause to doubt the usefulness of the Guild, nor the method by which it was led. To hear of a conspiracy headed by one of their own had greatly upset them. However, he noted, one or two of them appeared less than fully convinced by his arguments.

The King looked round the table, "Are there any more questions to be put to the High Lord?"

There were several questions about the procedures used and the reliability of truth-reading as a means of establishing the truth and Akkarin was able to deal with all of them easily. Lord Tannen, a close ally of Dagran was a bit more persistent with his questioning, but eventually even he was silenced.

Finally, the King said, "Lord Dagran, it seems there is a case to answer here. You will be confined until an investigation has been carried out into your involvement in the conspiracy against the Guild. Secretary, find the Captain of my guards and ask him to come here with six of his men."

Dagran made no comment, but he sent a poisonous look towards Akkarin. He contented himself with collecting his papers and replacing them in his document case. He gathered up his pens and other equipment and sat waiting for the guard to arrive.

Once Dagran had been taken away, the meeting broke up. Akkarin had no time for more than a hurried private word with the King who assured him that Dagran would be well guarded and the investigation would be thorough. With that, Akkarin had to be content for the moment.

On his way back to the Guild, the High Lord decided he had more reasons than not to be cheerful about the outcome. For once, against all the odds, it looked as if he had won a clean victory.


	63. Family

Disclaimer: I do not own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Family**

Akkarin sprinted up the steps to the front door of the Residence, he knew Sonea would be worried about what had happened at the Council Meeting and there was a lot to tell her. He hadn't wanted to use mental communication just in case someone, somewhere was listening out for him. Takan opened the door just as he reached it and, in reply to the High Lord's question, said, "Lady Sonea is in the small guest room."

Takan was the only one who referred to the room by its original name. Since the twins' birth, Sonea had commandeered it for use as what she called a 'family room where they could spend time together without worrying about the mess'. Some of the furniture it contained had been removed and what was left pushed back against the walls, revealing a largish space in the middle, which was usually full of babies' bits and pieces, along with a few toys and plenty of cushions.

Although the physical care of the twins was mainly done by two highly competent nursery maids, often helped by Alysa, Sonea insisted on having some time with them each day. When Akkarin had quietly suggested that the nursery maids had a much better idea of how to care for small babies, Sonea had stared at him, a look of surprise on her face.

"Is that how it's done in the Houses?" she asked. "Don't parents actually spend time with their children?"

"I rarely saw my parents when I was very young," he replied. "They were busy and often away, at Court, or on their estates. I spent a lot of time with servants who were employed specially to look after me. It was what everyone did. Of course, I saw more of them once I was six or seven and could hold a proper conversation and not disgrace myself, or them, in company."

He smiled as he saw the appalled expression on Sonea's face. "It was all right," he said reassuringly, "The servants were kind and helpful and I was very fond of some of them. We had some good times together and I didn't really miss not seeing my parents."

"Well, that's not how it was done, where I was brought up. Dwell parents spend a lot of time with their children looking after them and playing with them and that's the sort of parent I intend to be to Yhenna and Laton. It's the sort of parent I want you to be too!" Sonea said firmly.

Akkarin took care not to show Sonea what he really felt about spending a lot of time playing with babies. It was not part of how he saw himself and he worried about the cost to his dignity, but he'd nodded and smiled and had tried to join in the romps on the floor. However he was extremely glad that news of what he was doing hadn't travelled outside the Residence. He could imagine what people would say, if Takan's thoughts were anything to go by! Part of Sonea's charm for him was her unconventional behaviour, by House standards. It was refreshing, but sometimes, he privately thought, it could go too far!

As he walked down the corridor, he could already hear gusts of laughter coming from the room. When he opened the door, it was as he'd suspected. Sonea, Alysa and the twins were on the floor in the middle of the room, playing with some coloured pieces of wood. Alysa was trying to teach Yhenna to put the right piece into the correct space, but with little effect. It was a popular game in the Guild as it helped to show which babies had an understanding of shapes and spaces at an early age and was often a good indicator of magical ability. Yhenna, however, seemed more interested in chewing than playing the game. Laton, on the other hand, was sitting close to Sonea, watching his twin carefully.

It was a truly domestic scene and the High Lord had some difficulty, even now, months after the birth of his children, in reconciling the picture of family life before him with his own life. Sometimes he felt as if he were watching something going on in another room, to people he had no connection with. It was disconcerting and made him feel uncomfortable. He realised how hurt Sonea would be, if she even caught the barest glimpse of these thoughts, so he took great care to hide them.

He stood quietly just inside the door watching his wife and children. The twins were growing rapidly and both of them could crawl, although Laton was much faster than his sister. Yhenna was a quiet little thing most of the time, simply letting her brother take the lead. _It's strange_, Akkarin thought to himself, _I am drawn to my daughter and yet, if anyone had asked me at the time of their birth which one I would form a bond with, I would have said my son, yet he is Sonea's favourite and she his, I think._

As she turned to pick up another piece, Sonea saw him outlined in the doorway and sent him one of her special smiles.

_You're back at last, _she sent. _Come and join us, then after the children are put to bed, we can talk._

He returned her smile and went to sit next to her. Alysa barely looked at him, as usual, and went on trying to show Yhenna what to do. Laton suddenly seemed to lose interest in watching his sister, and quickly crawled over to the pile of wooden shapes, pushing Yhenna aside. He looked at them for a moment, then began picking them up and slotting them, one by one, into the correct space. It only took him a moment and, as the last one went in, he turned to look at his mother, a look of quiet triumph on his face. Sonea was murmuring to Akkarin, so she missed what the boy had done. As he saw she was not paying him any attention, Laton's face darkened and he stared angrily at her.

Suddenly Sonea broke off what she was saying and looked around, a frown creasing her forehead.

"What's the matter?" Akkarin asked.

"I don't know," she said slowly. "There was a strange feeling, just for a moment, as if someone had poked me with a small sharp stick, then it was gone. It only lasted for a few seconds."

"Did it feel like magic?" Akkarin asked and when she nodded, said, "From somewhere close at hand or from farther away?"

"I can't tell. It's very odd because it felt familiar, as if I'd felt it before but I can't remember where or when." She looked at him anxiously, "Do you think it's something to do with what went on at the meeting today? Something to do with Charen and Dagran?"

"I don't know, but we must take care. It's possible that someone close to them may be trying to see if they can reach us. Where did you feel the stick?"

She rolled up a sleeve and pointed to a place on her arm, "Here." She stared at it and said, "Does that look like a bruise to you?"

He looked at a small, discoloured mark. It was so tiny he hesitated in calling it a bruise. He was unsure of what might have caused it but he didn't want to worry her unnecessarily. He swiftly sought for something which would reassure her.

"I don't think so," he said after a pause. "It looks more like a freckle!"

Sonea giggled and said with mock anger, "That's not a nice thing to say!"

"I should check to see if you have more freckles in other places….but perhaps I'll save that until later….."

They returned their attention to the twins and spent some time joining in with the play. After a while, the children seemed to tire and there was an increase in fractious behaviour, with one or other of them crying or otherwise being difficult. Sonea decided that there had been enough play for the moment and asked Alysa to find the nursery maids and have the children taken to bed.

Once they had gone up to their room, Sonea and Akkarin took themselves off to his library. Sonea was eager to hear what had happened at the meeting and Akkarin felt he deserved a glass of his favourite wine as a reward for spending time on his hands and knees playing with babies.

He recounted the events and finished by saying that Balkan had organised a round up of those suspected of being part of the conspiracy.

"So," Sonea said, "It's all over?"

"I'd like to think so, however, there may be others we don't know about. I've left it to Balkan to investigate thoroughly and I'm sure he'll be able to get to the bottom on things here in the Guild. However, I'm not sure how many people Dagran might have involved and I must rely on the King to investigate that part of the conspiracy."

"Merin will do his best," Sonea said reassuringly. "After all, he doesn't want to lose you and this gives him the best chance of rooting out all those who are keen to see your influence lessened."

_Dinner will be ready in half an hour, Master_, Takan sent.

"Takan says dinner in half an hour," Akkarin relayed. "I'm suddenly hungry! I wonder what delights he has for us this evening."

"Me, too," Sonea agreed.

Akkarin smiled warmly at her, "After dinner, I mustn't forget to check for freckles."


	64. Winning

Disclaimer – I do no own BMT world – it belongs to Trudi Canavan

**Winning**

It was a very successful dinner in every sense of the word. Takan had surpassed himself this time and many of his new dishes had been the subject of enthusiastic discussion during the feast. It had been many years since the High Lord had arranged an evening such as this, a few old friends, a superb meal and interesting conversation. He was feeling very satisfied with himself and with life in general.

He looked at Sonea, seated at the far end of the table and realised yet again just how proud of her he was. She looked every inch a High Lord's Consort, beautifully dressed, a few tasteful jewels gleaming in her hair and around her neck and wrists, and displaying an air of quiet confidence. He remembered the unhappy, dwell child she had been, struggling to find her place in the Guild, yet fighting him the best way she knew how, despite the risks. Who would have thought how much she would change and just how much she would come to mean to him. He continued to watch her, taking great pleasure from her presence. She was speaking animatedly with Balkan, who seemed very taken with whatever she was saying. Next to him, Vinara was enjoying an amusing story with Rothen; it crossed Akkarin's mind that they were well suited to each other and he wondered briefly if Rothen was the man to change Vinara's single state.

He became aware that Lorlen was saying something and he turned his head to regard his oldest friend.

"…Akkarin?" Lorlen said, then looked quizzically at the High Lord, "You haven't been listening to a single word I've been saying, have you?"

"I have to confess that my mind had wandered," he said contritely. "Perhaps you'd better say it all again."

Lorlen gave a mock sigh and rolled his eyes, "I was merely asking if you'd had word from the Court about Lord Dagran, nothing really important!"

Akkarin smiled disarmingly, "I'm sorry, old friend. It is, of course, a very important question. The King sent word the other day that the investigations are almost complete and there is considerable evidence that Lord Dagran was directly involved in trying to discredit the Guild. The Council have discussed the matter, but they are not united in deciding what to do about it. The King is working on changing the minds of those who would be inclined to overlook Dagran's actions."

_Yes_, Akkarin thought to himself, _Finally Merin is taking the initiative and actively working to influence the Council, rather than the other way around. Perhaps he is beginning to find his feet and become more comfortable in his role as King._

"That's very good news," Lorlen said. "Now that Balkan has identified all the conspirators here in the Guild, and with the Council moving towards dealing with the problem at their end, it seems you have won again, High Lord!"

"You could say that, Lorlen, you could say that," he replied.

The wine glasses were refilled and the various conversations around the dining table continued. Lorlen had involved himself in the dialogue between Rothen and Vinara, and at the foot of the table, Balkan was laughing at something Sonea had said. For the moment, Akkarin was isolated amongst them so he turned his thoughts to events over the past year or so.

It seemed to him that Lorlen was right. Despite all the odds against him, he had won. The Ichani had been defeated in their attempt to take control of the Guild and he suspected that it would be some time before they were able to regroup and resume their attack. That they would, he had no doubt. The hunger for revenge, carefully stoked by Kariko over the years, had not been quenched. It was only a matter of time before they tried again. But now, thanks to Sonea's hard work with the Warriors and his own plan to use Illusion more effectively, the Guild was in a stronger position to resist.

He had been able to admit his use of black magic to the Inner Council and provide a well-supported reason for doing so. The High Lord's black robes had finally revealed their purpose, an acknowledgement of his role to preserve and maintain knowledge of what higher magic could do and his duty to use it in the defence of the Guild.

He had also defeated the conspiracy against him, which would have led to the diminution of the power and influence of the Guild, something no High Lord could ever have allowed. He could look forward now to a long period where he would work closely with the King to preserve the integrity of Kyralia and help steer it into a secure future. The Guild would change, he was determined on that, but change in a way which would strengthen it, rather than weaken its ability to defend the country against magical attack. His plans for testing people for magic from all walks of life and not just from the Houses were almost ready and he would begin the task of persuading the Higher Magicians of the wisdom of his proposal in the next few weeks. He was confident that he would be able to persuade them.

He gazed at the foot of the table, where his wife was sitting and saw she was smiling prettily at something Vinara had said. He thought to himself that perhaps the most miraculous thing of all was that he had found a woman who loved him, not for what he was, but for who he was. A woman who had taken on an enormous burden in order to help him survive. A woman who had not hesitated to put her own life in danger to save his. A woman who would walk away from all the pomp and power of the highest position in the Guild and be happy simply to live quietly with him somewhere, anywhere, just so they could be together. A woman who had given him a handsome son and a pretty daughter.

There were still times when he couldn't quite believe it!

He remembered the years of loneliness and pain when he'd convinced himself that he would always be alone and that death was something perhaps to be welcomed, rather than feared. He could laugh at himself now when he remembered the despair which had seemed to control his life; the long periods of melancholy which could only be endured with the help of Anuran Dark. What a poor creature he had been! All he had needed was a beautiful and very determined young woman to change his life!

Sonea looked up and saw him staring at her. She smiled as she looked deeply into his eyes and he knew the promise which lurked in their dark, sparkling depths. Once their guests had gone, they would move upstairs, perhaps spend some time in the large sunken bath, and then he would carry her to his bed and they would take delight in the physical expression of the deep love they had for each other.

As he continued to lose himself in her warm gaze, he could see the faint colour creep across her cheeks and he knew, without bothering to read her thoughts, that she, too, was anticipating a night of glorious passionate lovemaking.

Yes, Lorlen was right, he had won.

oooOOOooo

Alysa was sitting in the middle of the floor, the twins beside her. Although she knew that the High Lord was entertaining a number of guests, the Residence was quiet and it was almost as if she and the children were alone in the house. She smiled happily to herself. She really enjoyed the time she had alone with the babies, when she could play with them, or read to them, or sing to them, without any interference from anyone else.

She knew the nursemaids resented the time she spent with Yhenna and Laton. They felt she was an outsider not family, and thus someone with no claim on the children's time. Yet Sonea had said she wanted Alysa to develop a good relationship with them, because she would be living in the Residence for some years, until her novitiate was complete, "…and it will be nice for them to have someone like a big sister….."

Alysa looked at Yhenna. As usual, she was sitting quietly a short distance away, playing with a toy. She was a happy child most of the time, and didn't complain too much if Laton took her toys away, which he frequently did. She resembled her mother around the eyes and mouth and when she smiled, the resemblance was heightened. _Perhaps that is why the Dark Lord likes to hold her_, Alysa thought.

For all her fear and dislike of the Dark Lord, Alysa had to admit that he cared for his wife and he cared for his children. She suspected that he found it quite difficult to get down on the floor to play with the rest of his family, but he was a regular visitor to the children's room and joined in their romps with every indication of enjoyment.

Laton crawled over to her and began to pull at her clothing. Alysa looked down at him and found him concentrating on staring up at her. He had large dark eyes and thick silky hair and she thought he would probably grow up to be a handsome young man, _just like the Dark Lord, _her mind added unbidden.

Laton opened his mouth and made the noise, she knew meant he wanted her to pick him up. It was something he always did when Sonea came into the room. He seemed to like lying in his mother's arms, gazing into her eyes. If Sonea wasn't available, he would settle for Alysa. She bent over, put her arms around him and hauled him into her lap. He was growing rapidly and was getting heavier by the day.

He squirmed a little until he was comfortable and then was still. She looked down at him. His eyes were closed and there was a tiny crease in his forehead, as if he was concentrating on something. The frown grew deeper, his face grew red and his breathing deepened. It looked as if he was straining to do something but Alysa didn't know what it was.

Suddenly she heard a little wail and looked up to find Yhenna crawling rapidly towards them, a look of misery on her face. She reached Alysa and put out her hand towards Laton. He opened his eyes and turned his head to look at his sister, a smile on his face. Yhenna stared at him and smiled back as Laton grabbed her hand.

Alysa had not seen this sort of behaviour before and she was puzzled by it. The twins continued to stare into each other's eyes for what seemed like a long time. Alysa kept still, wondering what would happen next. Then both children turned to stare at her.

Her eyes flickered between Yhenna and Laton, unsure of what was happening. Then her heart stopped and all colour fled her cheeks.

"No!" she cried aloud, "It can't be true!"

But it was.

As she stared into Laton's eyes, she saw a faint purple mist slide over them, then disappear, only to reappear a moment later. She looked quickly at Yhenna, but her eyes remained clear. Laton's lips curved into a smile as the purple mist slid once more across his eyes. In her mind's eye, Alysa could see Morwhellin sitting at the window, laughing. The sound of her laughter filled Alysa's head, growing louder and louder, until the girl put her hands over her ears in a futile attempt to drown it out.

_This_, she thought hopelessly, _was Morwhellin's revenge_. She had not destroyed the balefire which had threatened Sonea and her magic, she had simply transferred it into the body of her unborn son. There was no way of knowing what would happen next.

**This story is now complete. It has been great fun to write and I hope you have enjoyed reading it. There will be a sequel at some future date. In the meantime, I intend to start shortly on another story about a different period in Akkarin's life. I hope you will like reading that one too.**


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